How Society Can Foster Age-Friendly Primary Care Environment For Older Adults
The absolute aging population in the world is rapidly increasing. This is partly due to the fact that more people are choosing not to have children. Also, humans can now live longer due to advancements in healthcare made over the years.
The quality and longevity of a person’s life is not only determined by genetics, but also by their environment and health practices. Aging is associated with an increased risk of contracting lifestyle and age-related ailments. Therefore, it is important to provide adults with the right primary care for seniors, and an environment where they can age safely, happily, and comfortably.
Contents
What’s Primary Care, and Why Do You Need the Right Primary Care Physician?
Primary care is medical care, which focuses on providing an individual patient-focused attention that is easily accessible, continuous and comprehensive. Primary health care providers are tasked with treating the person as a whole, instead of just an organ or a disease.
Primary care for seniors involves providing accessible medical care for the elderly. Some older people may prefer not to visit doctor’s offices because of the well-rooted fear of ill-treatment. But, you can easily avoid this problem with the right primary health care.
It’s important for seniors to find the right primary care doctor who’ll take full responsibility towards maintaining the total wellbeing of their old-aged patients. Such primary care doctors will make your healthcare journey fulfilling, with a whole dedicated team by your side. They’ll always take good care of you, and everything else, offering you the personalized primary care you need to stay healthy.
As opposed to the general physician, the primary care doctor is tasked with focusing solely on their patient and their wellbeing. Usually, if need be, they can refer the patients to specialists for further examinations and treatments.
According to the WHO, there are several objectives of primary care, some of which are:
- To provide easily accessible health care to people of all ages and economic and social backgrounds.
- To provide a wide range of health services and treatments to the patients who need them.
- To provide patients with the required information and education that they need to take part in their own healthcare.
- To allow for the development of long-lasting interpersonal relationships between patients and their health practitioners.
Why Primary Care is Important for Older Adults
Aging comes with accompanying adversities that are special to that life process. Older adults are at a higher health risk, as they have a lowered immunity level. They are more likely to contract emerging infectious diseases, develop chronic ones, or become disabled.
The public healthcare system is not always able to fulfill all the needs of their patients. There is a relatively huge workload to combat by the general practitioners, and this sometimes leads to neglect of patients.
But, with primary care, older adults can benefit in the following ways:
- They have an improved access to good quality healthcare services. This leads to an improvement in their general wellbeing and quality of life.
- It becomes possible for them to focus on preventive health. Primary care doctors study their patient’s health history and create special health care regimens. These specialized treatments serve to prevent disease conditions from happening.
- There’s a reduced need for specialist intervention. Once a patient is observed to be likely to develop a disease condition, they get treated by their primary care doctor, or referred further for immediate intervention.
- Adults with recurring or chronic health conditions will have access to early intervention if there is the need for it. This will go a long way in preventing chronic health conditions from rapidly deteriorating.
- There is an overall improvement in patient-doctor relationships. Having a good relationship with their healthcare provider can improve people’s confidence in the medical care they receive.
What is an Age-Friendly Environment for Adults?
Age-friendly environments are designed to provide a safe and engaging environment for people of all ages. As they grow older, senior citizens deserve to live in an environment where they can have a better quality of life. In these communities, the old people feel involved, supported and valued. They can access the basic amenities that they need, no matter their economic background.
Thus, an age-friendly environment is one that fulfills the following basic needs:
- Social Interaction: Adults should be able to have access to their friends and families as they age. When people grow old, loneliness and depression are bound to set in. This will only worsen if they are not surrounded by people they love. Relocation has become a rising problem that has led to the separation of families and friends all over the world. An age-friendly environment is one that allows adults to communicate with people they love regularly and comfortably.
- Easy Transport and Mobility: Seniors should be able to exercise their freedom of movement properly. A lot of older people have stated the private car to be their preferred mode of transportation. In an age-friendly environment, they can move about in their preferred way, and get anywhere. The inability to drive to places can lead to the isolation of adults from society, friends, and other happenings of the world.
- Access to Healthy Activities: As they grow, there is the potential for adults to lead a sedentary lifestyle. This is unhealthy and it can cause other health problems. An age-friendly environment will provide adults with the opportunity to take part in fun and recreational activities that are appropriate for their age.
- Safe Neighborhood: Adults need to live in a neighborhood where they are safe. Some people have hearing, vision, or mobility impairment, and they need to be sure of their safety. Living in an unsafe environment can lead to more health problems, and further decrease their quality of life. An ideal neighborhood for the elderly will be safe to walk around, peaceful and free from noise and violence.
How to Foster Age-Friendly Primary Care Environments For Older Adults
The society at large has a role to play in ensuring that its aging population can enjoy a good quality of life. Aging is a natural process that everyone is bound to go through. If people manage to age happily and in fulfilling ways, it would only improve the wellbeing of the community.
Some of the things that the society can do to encourage age-friendly primary care for its older adults include:
- Support primary care health clinics and train primary care health practitioners who will serve the aging population.
- Build cities and towns that consider the needs of older adults.
- Provide opportunities for the senior citizens to engage in recreational and fun activities with their loved ones.
Conclusion
The elderly deserve all the care they need to age peacefully. They should enjoy a good quality of life that will promote longevity. Successful aging is the process of aging in a state of good physical, mental and social well-being.
Therefore, to age comfortably, adults need access to the right primary care doctors and health care facilities that provide them with all they need to maintain their overall wellness. Society can make it possible by supporting the seniors, giving them opportunities to stay happy, healthy, and active; enjoying what they love doing even in their old age.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- How do I find a Primary Care Doctor?
You can find a primary care physician near you by asking questions. Visit the internet and check the health clinics near you. You can also ask your friends who have visited primary care clinics for referrals to the right primary care specialists.
- Can the Primary Care Doctor treat all my health conditions?
Primary care practitioners have the necessary medical training to deal with most health and disease conditions. But, it is possible for you to get referred to a specialist doctor if your health condition requires one. In this case, your primary care doctor will still get involved in your treatment during the process.
- What will it cost me to visit a Primary Care Clinic?
The price of services rendered will be determined by individual clinic rates. These rates may likely be higher than those in the public health system. It is advisable to search for clinics with prices that fall within your economic bandwidth. But, it’s even more important to prioritize quality services.