Believe it or not, this is a rather common issue. Since an elderly person will have probably been in the hospital a few times or is seeing specialists for memory care, heart care, kidney care, etc., their prescriptions and therapies are handled by that particular doctor, and they don’t feel the need to go see their Primary Care Physician. In some cases, their PCP has even retired and now they don’t feel a connection, or a need, to go see “that new guy or girl!”
Here are some thoughts on seeing a PCP at least once per year, in addition to the specialists:
- Have a yearly physical to establish a baseline: Your PCP will get data from the specialists to create goals for your heart rate, cholesterol, weight, etc.
- Medication management: Your PCP can help weed out redundant medications or advise on medications that should be stopped.
- Preventive care: Colonoscopy, Osteoporosis, Prostate, Depression screenings. Weight management. Women’s Health. You know all those fun things we don’t want to talk about? Your PCP loves to talk about those things!
At Danbury Senior Living, we can even help establish a PCP for a resident, and then our nurses can help monitor continuous appointments, managing their care so your loved one (and the family) can live their best life! Call today to learn more about how we can help.
