Getting medical care can be very difficult for seniors with Alzheimer’s. For a senior with Alzheimer’s the process of getting to a medical appointment, being in an unfamiliar place, and being surrounded by unfamiliar people can be very unsettling and upsetting. For those seniors physician house calls make medical care easier and more effective. Physician house calls have a lot of benefits for seniors that have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia due to Parkinson’s disease like:
Less Anxiety
Routine is very important for seniors with any form of dementia. They rely on their routine and being in a familiar place to get cues about the time of day, what activities they should be doing, and who should be there with them. Taking a senior with dementia out of their familiar routine by putting them in a car, transporting them to an unfamiliar place that may feel vaguely threatening like a hospital or doctor’s office, and disrupting the pattern of their day can cause a lot of anxiety.
Getting medical care is a lot less anxiety inducing for seniors with Alzheimer’s when it’s done at home. The pattern of their day may be slightly disrupted when the doctor examines them but they are in a familiar place where they feel comfortable with the caregivers they know and trust right there with them. Medical care is much less threatening and disruptive when it’s done at home.
Less Physical Difficulty
Getting a senior with Alzheimer’s to a medical appointment can be physically difficult in addition to causing anxiety. Many seniors with Alzheimer’s get motion sick or anxious riding in a car, especially if they don’t understand where they are going. It can be a slow and physically difficult process for them to navigate a parking lot and walk through a hospital or medical building to get to the actual doctor’s office. And if the weather is bad or the parking lot is slippery because of ice, snow, or rain seniors can fall. The physical toll of getting to the appointment can affect seniors for days afterward. But when seniors get medical care at home they don’t have to go through any of the physical challenges of getting care.
Fewer Trips For Medical Care
Physician house calls mean that seniors with Alzheimer’s can have any tests that they need done at home and that means less running around and fewer trips for seniors to make. When seniors with Alzheimer’s need tests done a caregiver may have to take them to several different facilities to get blood drawn or have other tests done. But a doctor can do a home exam and arrange for tests so that your senior parent doesn’t need to be taken to multiple places. That means much less stress on your senior parent and less anxiety for both of you.
Seniors will also get a better level of care when a doctor can see them at home. Because it’s difficult for seniors with dementia to participate in their care it’s important that the doctor be able to observe their behaviors to get clues about their condition. Seniors who are at home will act very differently when they’re relaxed at home than they would act in a medical facility after a stressful drive. For better care with less anxiety physician house calls just make sense for seniors with Alzheimer’s.
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 Castleton, 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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