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A lesson on the pandemic: the elderly need to go back to the doctor and make preventive care a top priority
Older patients should reconnect with their doctors for a wellness visit. Roberto Silvino / NurPhoto via Getty ImagesThe elderly endured a greater burden of illness and death due to COVID-19, with people aged 65 and over experiencing higher rates of hospitalization and death. However, this is only part of the sad story. In many cases, the elderly have stopped seeing their doctors and standard medical care for their chronic medical conditions and preventive care has been postponed. When medical clinics reopened after the initial closure in the spring of 2020, many patients did not return. National surveys and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that nearly a third, or about 32%, of US adults reported delaying routine care because of the pandemic from March to July 2020. In fact, a national survey from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NPR found that one in five U.S. households had trouble getting medical care when needed during the coronavirus outbreak. This was most often due to difficulties in getting an appointment, which resulted in poor health results in more than half, or 57% of cases. Although attending to medical emergencies is essential, preventive care is also important to optimize health, especially among older adults. As a geriatrician and medical professor, I think one of the best things the United States healthcare system could do is make 2021 the Year of Preventive Care, especially for the elderly. Doctors will discuss how many medications the elderly are taking during their wellness visits. Spencer Platt / Getty Images Care beyond COVID-19 vaccines Because of their vulnerability to COVID-19, older Americans were first in line for COVID-19 vaccines as they became available to the public. This aligned perfectly with public health prevention strategies. Vaccination for older adults, including those for influenza, herpes zoster and pneumonia, is a key component of preventive care. For older adults, however, there is more preventive care than vaccination. Preventive care is an important part of health care, according to the patient’s other medical conditions and care goals. Preventive screening in the elderly should be based on a personalized prevention plan between the patient and their physician. Ideally, preventive exams should identify problems before problems occur – talking about living alone, changing memory, any fall and who is around to help when needed. For people over 65 who have Medicare Part B for 12 months, Medicare allows an annual wellness visit once every 12 months, usually at no cost. Medicare’s annual wellness visit is different from a regular follow-up visit for chronic medical conditions. This visit is entirely focused on health risks and prevention. With the changes in the COVID-19 pandemic, your doctor or healthcare professional may even take a telemedicine video tour. The focus of this visit is on preventive and health care. Includes: A review of your medical and family history Development or update of a list of current providers and prescriptions Height, weight, blood pressure and other routine measurements Detection of any cognitive impairment Personalized health advice Assessment of risk factors and treatment options Advance care planning A schedule or checklist for appropriate preventive services, such as tests and vaccines There is no need to worry if you have not consulted your doctor in the past year. I’m sure they will be happy to hear from you and work to keep you healthy. Therefore, call your doctor or healthcare professional today to schedule an appointment and ask if you are eligible to schedule an annual Medicare wellness visit. As the nation begins to overcome the higher numbers of cases and mortality in the COVID-19 era, the healthcare system and patients need to focus on optimizing health. [You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors. You can get our highlights each weekend.]This article was republished from The Conversation, a non-profit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Laurie Archbald-Pannone, University of Virginia. Read more: Why do older people heal more slowly? Almost two-thirds of older black Americans cannot live alone without help – and it is even more difficult for Latinos Laurie Archbald-Pannone not to work for, consult with, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article and did not disclose relevant affiliations beyond his academic appointment.