Seniors who are choosing to age in place may be skipping necessary medical care because of the difficulties that they have accessing it. Those who have chronic conditions can’t afford to be missing appointments or skipping their monitoring appointments. That regular medical care helps doctors identity problems because they become serious and treat problems as they pop up instead of waiting until symptoms reach a crisis point.
So doctors are working hard to find new ways to make care accessible for seniors, including doctor visits for the elderly at home. Doctor visits for the elderly at home alleviate a lot of the problems that are causing seniors to avoid getting care. Below are the most common reasons why seniors say that don’t get regular care for chronic health conditions.
Lack Of Transportation
Seniors that no longer drive often say that not having access to reliable transportation is one of the primary reasons they skip medical appointments. Rideshare services can be confusing for seniors. Taxis aren’t available in all areas and sometimes there can be a long wait.
rivate senior vans are expensive and depending on their schedule and routes they may not be available when seniors need to get to an appointment or seniors may have to spend hours on the van to get to their appointment. Doctor visits for the elderly at home eliminate this problem by providing medical care for seniors without them having to get off the couch.
Difficulty Getting Around
Seniors also say that they don’t like going to medical appointments because they have difficulty getting around. Seniors that use walkers or wheelchairs may have to go around a building to reach an accessible door. And they may need to navigate elevators and other obstacles to get where they need to go.
That can be very tiring for seniors using canes or walkers. Seniors also may not be able to walk through parking lots or cross streets easily. Parking at busy medical centers or hospitals also might be prohibitively far for seniors.
No One To Go With Them
Another common reason why seniors don’t want to go out to get medical care is that they don’t have anyone to go with them and that makes them nervous. They may have trouble keeping track of things like their IDs, insurance cards, insurance information, medical records, and other documents that are needed.
They also get nervous that they won’t remember what the doctor tells them or they are worried they will get lost in the medical building and will be embarrassed asking for help. Having a doctor that comes to their home makes it less stressful for a senior to get medical care if their family members or caregiver can’t go to the doctor with them.
Not Wanting To Bother Loved Ones
Seniors also don’t want to ask a son or daughter to take the day off of work to take them to a medical appointment. While a medical appointment might not always mean that they need to miss an entire day of work often it does because they must help their senior loved one get ready for the appointment, get to the appointment, go through the appointment, then get them home safely, make sure they have all their prescriptions and so on. Doctor visits for the elderly at home make it possible for a senior’s family member to be there for the appointment and still get back to work.
Primary Care @ Home treats patients between ages 18-100+ years of age. We specialize in Primary & Preventive Care, Chronic Conditions, Homebound Patients, Geriatrics and Intellectually Disabled patients all in the comfort of our patient’s own homes. If you or an aging loved one in Zionsville, IN could benefit from our services please contact us today! (317) 471-0774
Dr. Horine treats adults including seniors and those with special needs. Dr. Horine Graduated from Indiana University and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis, where he practiced until 2019.
He has a special interest in assisting home-bound patients to remain in their homes and out of the hospital.
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