Medical Tips for Elderly
Healthcare and wellness issues can be very complex, confusing and intimidating. Caregivers have many important issues to deal with on a daily basis. Preventing, anticipating and treating medical related problems should be a priority in successfully caring for the elderly.
Routine checkups
The following list includes general recommendations to focus on to help maintain optimal health. An individual’s needs may vary based on their lifelong and current health status.
Maintaining proper health can, in part, be attributed to prevention. It is important to schedule or perform the following routine checkups in an effort to prevent medical problems or detect medical problems at an early stage:
1. See your primary care physician (PCP) at least every 6 months (if you are in good health with no or stable medical problems). If your have medical problems, see your PCP as directed and as needed.
2. Full dental exam annually and as needed.
3. Eye exam for vision and disease screening every 1-2 years and as needed.
4. Ear exam and hearing test every 2 years and as needed if any loss of hearing is noted.
5. Colorectal cancer and polyp screening as recommended by physician. Please discuss the frequency and type of screening appropriate.
6. Gynecological exam with Pap smear. Pelvic exam every year. It is reasonable for women from age 65-70 to stop having Pap smears if she has had three or more negative Pap smears in a row and no abnormal Pap smears in the past 10 ears. For women from age 65-70over 30 who had 3 normal Pap test results may get screening every 2-3 years.
7. Yearly mammogram after age 40 and continuing for as long as a woman is in good health or as otherwise directed by physician.
8. Clinical breast exam (by a physician) every year for women 40 and over.
9. Prostate cancer screening recommendations vary depending on the individual’s desires, medical condition and age. Discuss options for screening with the PCP.
10. Osteoporosis screening. Postmenopausal women of any age and women over age 65 should be evaluated to determine the need for Bone Density Testing. There is also evidence that men over 70 should also be evaluated for the need for osteoporosis screening. Discuss with the PCP when osteoporosis screening should begin.
