Many people prefer to stay in their own home in their senior years, but in the past, the American healthcare system has not always made this possible. The good news is that this is changing, enabling people to stay in the comfort of their own homes as they get older, a term known as aging in place.
Many seniors want to stay in their own homes as they get older, but due to a lack of resources, this hasn’t always been a viable option, making nursing homes and assisted-living facilities the main solution for patients with specific or complex healthcare needs. With more support availability and improvements in primary health care services and innovative technology, seniors are receiving better care and a better quality of life, as well as the ability to stay in their own homes.
Importance of Effective Primary Care
Primary care has typically been viewed as a first point of contact for patients when they are sick or need attention for specific acute health issues, but it is now recognized that primary care needs to also focus on helping patients establish effective health maintenance skills and positive lifestyle choices to prevent future disease and ill health. With a focus on working together with patients, their families and caregivers, and other healthcare providers, primary care providers are able to tailor health care to better fit patients’ individual health needs.
Everybody has a different situation, and even if help isn’t required right now, needs can change in the future meaning effective primary care, close monitoring, and careful planning is essential to support both current needs and changing needs in the future.
Ways Senior Primary Care Can Help
The role of primary care is to deliver continuing and comprehensive healthcare to patients in order to maintain and improve their overall health. Studies show that having a consistent and trusted primary care provider can significantly improve patients’ quality of life, prevent future illness, and help seniors age in place.
As patients get older, their health needs can change. Effective primary care tailors care to suit these changing needs by offering a range of services to help patients remain in the best possible health. Working closely with a wide range of healthcare providers, primary care providers can ensure that patients health needs are met. Primary care provides a continuation of care and aims to help patients navigate and coordinate their care journey.
By providing effective primary care to senior patients, it can help seniors age in place in a number of ways:
Personalized Health Care
Seniors have different health needs and challenges and require high-quality care that is appropriate for their unique needs. Senior primary care providers oversee and manage a patient’s overall healthcare to ensure their needs are met and to prevent problems in the future. They can provide patients better access to a variety of healthcare services and specialists to address medical, psychological, and wellness issues and improve overall health.
Senior primary care providers are well-trained experts in the care and treatment of a wide range of medical conditions and illnesses that can affect seniors. Any medical concerns are thoroughly investigated and evaluated to ensure the patient receives the most effective treatment.
A primary care provider ensures medical conditions and illnesses are diagnosed and treated promptly to reduce the chance of any complications. Additional diagnostic testing is requested when required and if a patient requires a specialist or additional care services, a primary care provider can coordinate and oversee care to make sure the patient is receiving the most personalized care possible.
Promoting Overall Health and Wellbeing
Focusing on diagnosis, treatment, and disease prevention, primary care providers are an integral part of a patient’s ongoing health and wellbeing. They are able to provide education and guidance to prevent illness and disease and can help patients access additional services and support to improve their health. Health promotion may include advice around nutrition, exercise, lifestyle choices, fall prevention, and disease management to ensure patients stay as healthy as possible.
If a patient does have a chronic health condition, a primary care provider can help them better manage their condition in order to prevent complications and to help them stay as healthy as possible.
Some senior primary care facilities offer access to a range of inhouse specialty care such as optometry, podiatry, psychiatry, and dental care to improve and maintain overall health and wellbeing.
Early Detection of Illness and Disease
Early detection of medical conditions can help to dramatically improve the likelihood of successful treatment when a condition is caught and treated early on. Primary care providers have the knowledge and expertise in a broad range of areas and can help patients manage their health long term. They deliver a range of services and utilize the latest advances in modern medicine to help care for patients and to identify any concerns in their early stages when treatment is typically most effective, such as providing regular wellness checkups, education and advice, and regular screening tests.
With an emphasis on establishing a long-term trusting and comfortable relationship between the patient and the primary care provider, they have a good understanding of a patient’s medical and family health history, which can help to promote health and detect health concerns in their earliest stages. The provider is better able to spot red flags of potential health issues as early as possible, which can then be addressed and closely monitored. They can also motivate patients to be more proactive in their future health. Primary care providers take all of the patient’s health factors into account and work with patients to create manageable, sustainable and effective action plans for better health.
Comprehensive Senior Primary Care in Central Florida and South Florida
The diverse, dedicated care team at Palm Medical Centers provides personalized, comprehensive healthcare to seniors and utilizes the latest advances in modern medicine to diagnose, treat, and support patients and help them age in place. Our senior centers offer a wide range of health and wellness services, including primary care, inhouse specialty care, lab services, telehealth, unlimited transportation, pharmacy, wellness activities, and more.
At Palm Medical Centers, we also provide a case management team to work closely and collaboratively with patients and their clinical care providers to ensure each patient’s unique healthcare needs are being met. Our case managers provide a continuity of service through appropriate communication and coordination and offer one-on-one, personalized assistance and guidance for patients as they traverse their individual healthcare journeys.
To learn more about our comprehensive, high-quality, value-based senior primary care services, contact Palm Medical Centers at (833) 500-7256 (PALM), or you can contact us online.
