While many people will do anything to avoid the doctor’s office, postponing routine well-care visits can lead to a loss of valuable time in treating many of the most serious health concerns facing senior adult men and women.
Earline Wood of Montgomery knows firsthand how much difference early diagnosis and treatment can make. About two years after her father, William Luckie, retired, he got the flu and went to the doctor for treatment — an unusual trip for Luckie, Wood said, because he never got sick and never went to the doctor.
In the course of the examination, Luckie’s doctor found that he was suffering from one of the most common chronic conditions that affects adults — high blood pressure. Unfortunately, Luckie already had suffered kidney damage as a result of his high blood pressure, and ultimately he had to start daily home dialysis treatments.
“Daddy never felt bad, but if he had gone to the doctor and had his blood pressure checked, he could have been spared many years of dealing with dialysis,” Wood said.
The importance of early diagnosis was reinforced for the Wood and Luckie families after Luckie’s death. Wood’s mother, Myrtle Luckie, had been his primary caregiver during his illness. After Luckie’s death, Wood began to notice that her mother was becoming forgetful.
Myrtle Luckie’s doctor conducted a battery of tests and determined that she was most likely in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
“The doctor said that you can’t diagnose Alzheimer’s for sure, but Mother’s symptoms and the test results showed Alzheimer’s patterns,” Wood said.
Her doctor immediately prescribed Aricept, a medication that has helped many Alzheimer’s patients maintain better memory function and the ability to perform daily tasks. Wood recalls that her mother did great on the medicine and even got a little better.
“You could tell that she was thinking clearer,” Wood said.
“She could cook again and was able to stay at home and take care of herself for two or three more years after the diagnosis.”
Wood believes that early treatment has meant a better quality of life for her 93-year-old mother, who still recognizes her family and stays active in her assisted-living home.
“Some days she is more alert than others, but all in all, for someone who has had Alzheimer’s as long as she’s had it, she’s doing very well,” Wood said.
“I feel that early diagnosis and medication has kept her more stable and able than she would have been otherwise.”
While many of the most serious health threats for both men and women cannot be “cured,” early diagnosis and treatment can sometimes delay the development of more serious conditions and complications.
“The major benefit of preventive care is the quality of your life,” said Antonio Williams, executive director of Youth in Aging, a program sponsored by the Jefferson County Area Agency on Aging Office of Senior Citizens Services. “When a condition like high cholesterol, diabetes or dementia is detected early, the person can enjoy a better quality of life.”
Williams said that many of the necessary screening tests are expensive, which makes it difficult for many senior adults to get them.
But they can’t be ignored, said Williams. “For the people with these conditions, it’s life or death,” Williams said.
“Most of these conditions can be stabilized when they are detected early, and that makes a big difference in a person’s life.”
Williams’ organization, and many others around the state, offer routine screenings free or at a reduced fee, which Williams says is critical.
And once a condition is diagnosed, follow-up care and treatment are vital.
“When someone is diagnosed with a serious condition, that person needs to be involved not only in regular health care, but also in an exercise and nutrition program,” Williams said.
Though a cure may be out of reach, an approach that includes positive diet and lifestyle changes, appropriate medications, and close communication between physician and patient can mean a more stable condition and a better quality of life.
Preventive care also makes good financial sense for both the patient and society, Williams said.
“When a chronic condition is detected early, a person can save a lot of money in the long run,” Williams said.
“Society needs to pay more attention to prevention rather than putting so much emphasis on treatment.
“It is more logical to pay for preventive health care than to pay for nursing home care after a person has a stroke or heart attack.”
For more information, visit the Senior Spotlight section of www.thealabamabaptist.org.
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