Choosing the right medical care provider is extremely important, as you are choosing a long-lasting medical relationship that will become vital later in life when more health complications can occur.
Providers practice in many kinds of locations, including private offices, outpatient clinics, and medical centers. Let’s discuss what senior medical centers are, what to expect from them, and why it may be beneficial for you to see a provider at this type of facility.
What Are Senior Medical Centers?
Senior medical centers are medical practices in which providers specialize in primary care for patients 65 years or older. Primary care is important because it helps identify a broad range of medical conditions that can develop and helps monitor existing conditions, like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Senior medical centers have geriatric physicians, as well as a variety of other specialists, who work together to offer the best possible health care services to senior patients. Senior medical centers are the ideal facilities to care for seniors because that is their entire patient base – making them the most knowledgeable, well-equipped facilities for senior patients.
Senior Medicine
As you age, you need to pay more attention to the way your body changes and may need help managing these changes, especially if they begin to affect your everyday health and ability to function.
If you are 65 years of age or older, issues that you may be facing or may begin to face include:
- Chronic aches and pain
- Memory decline
- Unsteady gait and balance
- Urinary and fecal incontinence
- Taking and managing multiple medications
The best geriatric care you can get is from a geriatric specialist. This is a doctor who dedicates their education and work to caring for senior patients. Providers can earn board certification in geriatrics or specialize in it. Geriatric doctors have many years of expertise in treating senior patients, evaluating risks for conditions this age group is susceptible to, and working with other health care specialists to create a support team to provide senior patients with the highest level of care possible.
Are you having trouble walking, dealing with aches and pains, and functioning inadequately in your daily life? Your primary care provider can prescribe physical therapy, in which a therapist will recommend specific exercises to get your bones, joints, and muscles moving properly again. Are you experiencing foot pain, particularly as a complication of diabetes? Your primary care provider may refer you to a podiatrist, who specializes in the health of the foot and ankle.
Case Management
New health conditions can be a lot to handle – especially as you get older. This is why some senior medical centers, like Palm Medical Center, offer case management. This is a service where you can spend time with case managers that offer personalized assistance in your health care journey. This can be especially helpful for high-risk patients that need a lot of care from different providers.
Senior Center Activities
Senior medical centers offer more services than you may find at a typical doctor’s office that focuses on disease prevention, as well as disease treatment. For instance, Palm Medical Centers have on-site wellness centers, which focus on helping patients stay active in mind and body, both of which can slow the effects of aging. At these centers, many different activities are offered, including but not limited to:
- Arts and crafts
- Dance lessons
- Chair yoga
- Educational courses for:
- Cell-phone photography
- Managing arthritis
- Nutrition and diet
Patients have found that the benefits of these activities include enhanced emotional well-being, engaging in the community, lower stress levels, and improved strength and balance – all of which are important factors in disease prevention.
Senior Medical Center Near Me
At Palm Medical Centers, we believe that your best defense against illness and disease is your primary care provider. We have experienced, caring physicians that are board-certified in geriatrics and are eager to provide you with high-quality, value-based care, so you can stay healthy as you age.
To schedule an appointment, call us at (833) 500-7256, or fill out an appointment request form. We look forward to caring for you and helping to maintain your health and wellness!
