Senior Wellness & Prevention
As we get older it is important to keep up with wellness checks and preventative care. Primary Care Partners of South Bend recommends that seniors receive a yearly checkup to ensure their health is the best it can be. Daily healthy choices and routine care are the keys to senior wellness and prevention. For more general information regarding senior wellness and prevention, visit the CDC’s Healthy Aging page.
Wellness Checks
During these annual visits, the doctor performs a physical exam to assess vitals and physical health. The doctor will check your overall health by taking your vitals, checking your heart, lungs, skin, eyesight, and general appearance. The doctor will be able to answer any of your questions and concerns, and determine if further screening or care is necessary for any area. You will also get any necessary vaccinations. All of these are essential in keeping your body healthy and preventing injuries, cancer, or diseases.
Staying Healthy
Staying healthy is important throughout our entire lives. As we get older, eating a well-balanced diet and staying active is essential to mental and physical health. Retiring or family moving away can be hard, so it is important to continue finding hobbies and staying social. It is also important to know the dangers of alcohol and be cautious of the amount that you intake. Aging does not have to mean declining in health or ability, so maintaining senior wellness is just as important now as it has ever been.
Mental Health
Mental health is just as important as physical health and is essential to our overall well-being. It is important to address mental health as a senior as life changes continue to happen. Primary Care Partners of South Bend offers several mental wellness assessments and counseling options. It is important to us that we monitor our patients’ mental health throughout their entire lives to ensure a healthy mindset.
Specialty Services
At Primary Care Partners of South Bend, we offer care across many areas. This is because we believe in a holistic approach to health. To keep your skin in good condition and to check any abnormal moles or marks, we offer dermatology services. Our staff is skilled in lesion assessment, removal, and testing. As a senior, it can be more common to have joint pain which can make it harder to move around. Our musculoskeletal medicine can help alleviate your joint pain and get moving comfortably and safely again. Additionally, we offer gynecology services like pap exams and colonoscopies. To schedule an appointment in any of these areas, request one online or give us a call at (574) 251-1200.
Preventative Exams
As our bodies age, we are more susceptible to injury and illness. At Primary Care Partners of South Bend, we offer and recommend regular screenings to seniors. Beginning at age 50, you should have a colonoscopy every 5 years. Around age 65, you should get a bone density scan to assess the risk of osteoporosis. Additionally, routine hearing and eyesight tests are necessary as a senior. You also may need a thyroid function test if you have heart flutters, weight change, or hand tremors. We also run hemoglobin, diabetes, and urinalysis labs to diagnose common illnesses and diseases.
As a senior, vaccinations against the flu, shingles, and pneumonia become even more important. Also, we may recommend booster shots of the vaccines you got as a child. To find out which screenings and vaccinations you may need, contact us online or call Primary Care Partners of South Bend at (574) 251-1200. Our mission is to treat every patient with high-quality care and the respect and dignity they deserve.
