What change in the integument gives rise to bruising in older individuals?

Bruising in older individuals is primarily attributed to decreased vascular resilience. As people age, the skin and underlying tissues undergo various changes, including a reduction in the strength and elasticity of blood vessels. The walls of blood vessels become thinner and more fragile, making them more susceptible to rupture even with minor trauma. This results in blood leaking into surrounding tissues, leading to the appearance of bruises.

While other factors, such as increased collagen cross-linking or decreased subcutaneous fat, contribute to the overall integrity of the skin and underlying tissues, they do not directly cause the increased incidence of bruising. Increased elastin production is also not a characteristic of aging skin; in fact, elastin decreases with age, impacting the skin's elasticity. Therefore, the primary change associated with bruising in older individuals is the decreased resilience of the vascular structures, making option B the accurate response.