Although aging is a normal aspect of life, many seniors find that it comes with a special set of health issues that are challenging to handle. Not only that, but navigating the healthcare system can be equally difficult as they get older. The good news is that medical advocacy can help ensure seniors receive the care and assistance they require to maintain their quality of life. Some of the most common health problems that seniors encounter and how medical advocacy can help are explored below.
Handling Long-Term Illnesses
Numerous chronic illnesses, including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and hypertension, affect seniors on a daily basis. These illnesses require close observation, frequent checkups, and frequently intricate drug schedules. It can be challenging to navigate this level of care, especially when managing many conditions at once.
How Medical Advocacy Helps: A medical advocate helps reduce competing therapies, making sure that all healthcare providers are aware of the senior’s medical history, and coordinating care. Advocates can also assist seniors with getting ready for doctor’s appointments by gathering information, creating a list of questions, and encouraging them to talk about their concerns.
Problems with Medication Administration
Polypharmacy, or the concurrent use of several medications to address various illnesses, can make managing prescriptions difficult for seniors. This can result in serious health difficulties since it frequently causes confusion regarding dosages, unintentional drug interactions, and non-compliance with prescribed regimens.
How Medical Advocacy Helps: Medical advocates play a critical role in medication management by examining all prescription and over-the-counter drugs and spotting possible interactions or adverse effects. They can also work with doctors and pharmacists to streamline medication schedules and stress the value of following doctors’s orders to seniors.
Navigating the Medical System
For seniors, who might not be familiar with digital health technologies or feel overburdened by insurance paperwork, the healthcare system can be particularly frustrating. This is especially true when they are dealing with multiple departments.
How Medical Advocacy Helps: An advocate can assist with insurance claims and billing disputes, providing clarification on medical terminology, and making sure seniors receive the benefits to which they are entitled. Additionally, they can also assist seniors in locating the best healthcare providers and accompany them to appointments.
Avoiding Readmissions to Hospitals
Seniors are frequently more likely to experience difficulties, receive subpar follow-up treatment, or misunderstand their discharge instructions, which increases their chance of being readmitted to the hospital soon after being released. When this happens, a decrease in general health and quality of life may result.
How Medical Advocacy Helps: Before seniors leave the hospital, advocates make sure that all required services, such as home care, physical therapy, or follow-up visits, are set up. This is a critical part of discharge planning. In addition, to reduce unnecessary readmissions, they work with healthcare providers to organize discharge instructions and help seniors and their families understand them.
A variety of health issues affect seniors, requiring support and careful management. When it comes to helping seniors with these issues, medical advocacy can be a lifesaver. Medical advocates give seniors the tools they need to take control of their health and improve their quality of life by offering individualized assistance and guidance.
Sources:
https://www.ioaging.org/aging/patient-advocacy-need-someone-go-bat-senior/
https://www.universalclass.com/articles/self-help/definition-of-an-advocate.htm#:~:text=Basically%2C%20an%20advocate%20acts%20as,Patient%20rights.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-power-of-a-health-care-advocat
If you or an aging loved one are considering medical advocacy in The Ridges, NV, please contact the caring staff at Golden Years today. Call (702) 931-0055
Golden Years is Las Vegas’ premier senior concierge service. Golden Years offers numerous services including transition assistance, medical advocacy, crisis support, financial oversight and home services near Las Vegas, Lake Las Vegas, Red Rock Country Club, The Ridges, Las Vegas Country Club, Spanish Trails, Summerlin, Sun City Summerlin, Summerlin South, Sunrise Manor, Centennial Hills, Whitney, North Las Vegas, Boulder City, Enterprise, Spring Valley, Rhodes Ranch, Southern Highlands, Henderson, Sun City MacDonald Ranch, Sun City Anthem, Green Valley, Anthem, Anthem Country Club, and Seven Hills.
Our caregivers and staff members treat our clients, residents, and their families with the utmost respect. Our focus is to provide the highest quality of care and service with compassion and dignity.
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