Trips to the doctor aren’t always fun. They can be associated with stress, discomfort, and boredom. However, routine health checkups are actually critical for senior adults. As we grow older, these checkups become increasingly necessary due to increased risk for illnesses and chronic diseases. In fact, routine health checkups can be life savers when it comes to diagnosing serious health concerns for seniors.
A Typical Health Checkup for Seniors
A typical health checkup for seniors consists of several quick and effective tests. These tests can include blood pressure tests, dementia tests, eye exams and more. Doctors often also discuss lifestyle plans, mental health status, vaccination history and plans, as well as any other health topic that the senior patient wants to discuss.
These checkups help healthcare professionals evaluate whether current medication plans are working, or if they need to be adjusted in any way. New prescriptions can be written as needed, and other medication advice can be given. These conversations are crucial in determining the success of any ongoing treatment and/or medication.
Health Checkups Can Provide Early Diagnoses
First and foremost, routine health checkups with your doctor are important for people of all ages. For senior adults, they are especially important, because with age comes higher risk of illness and disease. The most effective way to ensure seniors maintain their best health is to catch these illnesses before they become severe. A regular health checkup with their doctor is the most efficient way to diagnose high risk illnesses and chronic diseases for seniors.
Catching health issues in seniors early on is critical for a number of reasons. Early diagnoses help seniors by explaining their pain or memory struggles and offering potential solutions for them. It is well known that the sooner a senior’s health difficulty is identified, the sooner it can be treated, and the higher the likelihood of recovery or successful treatment.
The Importance of Diagnosing Alzheimer’s and Dementia Early
Alzheimer’s and dementia are some of the most common illnesses that affect senior adults. The common symptom of memory loss can be very emotionally painful for seniors who deal with dementia or another form of Alzheimer’s, as well as for their families. However, early detection can help.
According to the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Institute, some symptoms of dementia are reversible and can be treated. Starting treatment for these symptoms as early as possible can maximize the likelihood of the treatment’s effectiveness. This also gives the parties involved more time to plan for the future, address any current issues, and educate themselves on how dementia or other forms of Alzheimer’s can affect themselves or their loved ones.
How Assisted Living Helps Seniors
When seniors are facing more difficult lives due to their age, there are people willing to help. Maybe you or your loved one had a routine health checkup and were diagnosed with a health issue that makes it more difficult for them to care for themself. Maybe you or your loved one has been diagnosed with dementia and struggles to keep track of medication plans. In these cases and many more, the help received through assisted living communities can be vital.
Cavalier Senior Living offers members of their assisted living communities the peace of mind of knowing that there is always someone there around the clock to help. The personalized medication assistance given to members of Cavalier assisted living communities consists of reminding or coaching residents to take their proper medications on time. This can also include physical assistance with the process if needed.
Cavalier Senior Living
Cavalier Senior Living is the premier provider of high quality assisted living communities in Alabama. Because of our focus on helping every member of our communities live their best possible life, we encourage healthy lifestyle choices, such as seeing your doctor regularly for routine checkups. Click here to read more about the benefits of assisted living from Cavalier Senior Living, and click here to see our locations across Alabama.
If you or your loved one are looking for an assisted living experience that encourages independence while helping with everyday tasks, such as medication management, look no further than your local Cavalier Senior Living community, and don’t forget to have that checkup!
