Senior moments to remember

Editor's note: This story was originally published in Health Care Quarterly, a magazine about Southern Nevada's health care industry. Stories in Health Care Quarterly were submitted by doctors and their affiliates.

As time seems to pass more quickly each day, it is a continuous task to ensure that our individual health and the health of our loved ones remain a top priority. Yet, between school, work, activities and, life, in general, our existence can stream by faster than we realize and, sometimes, that means we do not think ahead to what health needs we may have in the future.

So, let’s stop and do just that: Think about our health, and, more specifically, the health of our aging population.

Southern Nevada is fortunate to have the warm, dry weather that attracts many to retire and live out their golden years in the golden sun. This hopefully helps alleviate the potential aches and pains in our senior citizens, yet, this population needs to maintain their health awareness.

“The older adult population in our Las Vegas community continues to grow, and with it, comes specialized health care needs,” said Dr. Upinder Singh, internist and geriatrician at Southern Hills Hospital. “It is critical for all of us to understand and address those needs, as well as proactively find the necessary resources for their excellent care that they deserve.”

Along with our senior citizens maintaining their health care awareness, it is the responsibility of health care facilities to accommodate and exceed the needs of that age group.

Consider and remember the following to best serve senior patients:

Seek a health care facility that proactively finds ways to improve service to seniors — look for senior citizen-reserved parking spaces in the ER parking lot, providing closer and easier access to hospital entrances.

Look for simple tools, such as the installation of larger, easier-to-read wall clocks and specialized furniture (chairs, couches) to adapt to the ease of senior patients getting in and out.

Oftentimes, seniors rely on their pets to provide love and comfort — consider a health care facility that offers animal-assisted therapy specifically in departments and units that typically host senior patients.

Dig even deeper into a facility’s certifications that target improving the treatment of senior citizens such as a NICHE-certified facility. NICHE stands for Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders, which is the leading nurse-driven program designed to help hospitals and health care organizations improve the care of older adults. This is a rare certification that enhances the care and education of their nursing staff specifically focused on special care for senior patients.

Additionally, check for certifications from the Joint Commission, the leading accreditor of health care organizations in America, that would best serve senior patients such as orthopedic certifications signifying the high priority focus on senior ailments and needs, as well as programs that treat Alzheimer’s disease.

It is reality that as our patients continue to age, their behaviors and mental state can change slowly or drastically. It is sometimes difficult to accept those behaviors as those that need and require clinical assistance. Seek a health care facility that provides behavioral health resources for senior citizens, and one that can offer both in-house and outpatient care.

Find out if the health care facility that would treat senior patients has a geriatrician on staff — this is a medical doctor who is specially trained to meet the unique health care needs of older adults. Geriatricians prevent, manage and develop care plans that address the special health problems of the elderly.

By following these simple health care tips, treatment for and the health care of the older population can significantly improve for senior patients.

Joyce Goedeke is vice president of marketing/public relations at Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center.

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