You have learned that tape or adhesive bandages must be removed carefully from the skin on patients who are elderly to avoid tearing their fragile skin. What accounts for the fragility of their skin?

There are fewer collagen and elastic fibers in the reticular layer of the dermis as we age, contributing to wrinkling and increased susceptibility to tearing of the skin.  

Explanation:

As we age, environmental damage, such as ultraviolet radiation, and decreased ability of our fibroblasts to renew collagen and elastic fibers make our skin thinner and more vulnerable to mechanical trauma.