Home To Stay Health Care Alzheimer’s Screenings Often Left Out Of Seniors’ Wellness Exams.
Alzheimer’s Screenings Often Left Out Of Seniors’ Wellness Exams
At Home to Stay Health Care, we know how important it is to care for the elderly who suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, our senior home care company is the only certified provider of the AlzBetter method of care for those suffering from this terrible illness.
It’s critical that seniors receive annual check-ups from their primary care doctor to evaluate their overall health and to detect the onset of any forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s. Sadly, many doctors do not seem to be including this in their regular medical screenings for those over 65 years old.
Senior Medical Visits
Too often, doctors are treating medical check-ups with the elderly the same as they would with a younger patient. Medicare covers what is known as an “Annual Wellness Visit” for those old enough to be under this healthcare program. While it covers the administering of tests to detect signs of cognitive impairment, it appears most primary care physicians are not doing this for their senior patients. They’ll check their cholesterol and blood pressure and perhaps a few other vitals and stop there.
This disturbing fact was revealed in a recent report by the Alzheimer’s Association. According to this report, less than half of primary care doctors screen their patients older than 65 for problems with thinking or memory. Even though there’s currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, it’s still critical that people find out as soon as possible if they are showing signs of getting it.
The Importance of Knowing if You Have Cognitive Impairment
There are clinical trials occurring all the time for various drugs that may help alleviate symptoms of Alzheimer’s and that may even lead to a cure someday. That being said, it’s hard to sign up for such a trial if you have no idea that you’re developing signs of such cognitive impairment.
Another cost of not knowing that dementia is looming in your future is that it prevents you from preparing for that future while you’re still of sound mind. You may want to put together a living will that lays out the medical care you want if you become incapacitated by Alzheimer’s. Another benefit of early diagnosis is that family and friends will know they’ll have to be ready to care for or pay for the provision of care for their elderly parent or other loved one.
Hope for the Future
The release of this information should help impel action with regard to how doctors medically check seniors. It’s not difficult or expensive to incorporate dementia screening into regular annual wellness exams, and there’s so much benefit from finding out as early as possible. As more people learn about this, more family members of the elderly will be asking the doctor of their parents or grandparents if they are conducting such screenings.
Home Care for Alzheimer’s Sufferers
Based in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, our compassionate caregivers at Home to Stay Health Care provide numerous at-home services for your elderly family member. These include meal preparation, grooming, hygiene, transportation, companionship, errands, chores and a number of others. One of our premier services is that of Alzheimer’s care. With our AlzBetter method of care, we give your seniors the dignity they deserve, and we provide you with the peace of mind that they are being well cared for. We can care for your loved one full-time, or we can step in for you when you need a break. If you have a parent, aunt or uncle that you’re responsible for, please contact us, and let us know how we can help you with at-home caregiving with dignity and compassion.
