January is a fresh start, and we wish you all an upcoming year of health and happiness! Your newsfeeds are probably filled with resolutions, ads for gym membership discounts, life-changing health elixirs, and diet plans galore. One of the best resolutions you can make for the new year is to see your healthcare providers so you can stay healthy—all of them!
When people are sick or trying to manage chronic pain, enjoying life is more difficult. Start the year well by crossing your check-ups off your to-do list. Here are some important appointments to get scheduled this year:
- Dentist
- Optometrist
- Primary Care Provider
- Specialists
Your primary care provider may also refer you to have labs completed, to see specialty providers, or for complete screenings, such as X-rays, hearing tests, or bone density scans. Appointments can get tedious, but keeping up with them proactively may help you feel your best and potentially avoid complications.
Make the Most of Your Healthcare Visits
Bring important information to your appointment and plan to take notes. Tell your providers about any medications you’re taking, both prescribed and over the counter, so they can assess whether they’re helping or necessary.
Remembering everything about your health history can be tough, even if you just saw your provider last year. Bringing a trusted friend or loved one along can be very effective in helping you remember everything you need to report.
Be sure you feel comfortable with your healthcare providers. If you’re unsatisfied, or their offices are too far away for you to drive, seek second opinions or switch providers to meet your needs.
Establishing care with one consistent primary care provider is a great way to ensure continuity of care. When they know you well, they can assess your baseline and determine changes that those who see you every day may not notice. Once you’re comfortable, stick with the same providers and schedule your appointments in advance to ensure you can remain working with the same team.
Establishing an advanced directive is another great goal for the new year. This important paperwork can help you “speak” to your medical professionals and loved ones if you cannot verbalize your wishes.
Consider an Advance Directive
No one wants to think that the worst could happen, and they can’t speak for themselves, so advance directives are often put off. Making your wishes known and appointing someone to act on your behalf if you become unresponsive or incapacitated.
Without an advance directive on file with a medical provider, patients may be resuscitated through CPR or AEDs or kept alive using ventilators, dialysis, feeding tubes, or IVs. In some instances, machines could be used for years to keep you alive.
Would you prefer to remain on life-supporting machines if you could not improve or become responsive? If you feel strongly about what you’d like in that situation, an advanced directive may offer peace of mind to you and your family.
A living will or durable power of attorney for healthcare names an agent to make medical decisions for you and specifies what you prefer in the event of a life-threatening health event. A Do Not Resuscitate, or “DNR,” or “POLST” Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment can also communicate your wishes. These can be completed in a doctor’s office or clinic. You can also work with an attorney to create a living will.
Regardless of what type of advance directive you complete, make sure the people who need copies have them (your doctor’s office, your attorney, your spouse, and any loved ones who may need them).
Enjoy Wellness
Spend your days in good health by opting for good sleep, proper nutrition, and hydration, and be sure to get some exercise each day. Working on small goals versus a formal New Year’s resolution can seem less intimidating, and little changes can mean big things when it comes to maintaining your health.
If you’re living in a senior living community, consider working with the on-site medical provider to make staying healthy easy. Legacy Medical offers nurse practitioner visits in several senior living communities to help seniors remain independent. If you’d like to learn more, contact us at info@legacymedical.com.
