You might be familiar with the phrase, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, but what does that actually mean in practice? For geriatric patients, especially, why is preventative medicine so important, and how can it help protect your health?
Keep reading to learn more about what preventative care includes and how it can be used to protect the health of you or your elderly loved one.
What Is Preventive Care?
Preventive care is a branch of medicine focused on stopping illnesses before they develop, rather than waiting to treat issues after they become serious. Preventive care can include things like screenings for cancer and other diseases, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and getting necessary immunizations for preventable illnesses.
It’s worth keeping in mind that preventative care isn’t always about stopping an illness from developing at all. Through preventative screenings, we may discover early on that you are likely to develop a certain illness, such as osteoporosis, and take steps to slow the progression of that illness as much as possible. Fully preventing the issue may not be possible.
What Illnesses Can Preventative Care Predict or Prevent?
Here at Family Wellness and Geriatric Center, our preventative care can help you prevent or predict the development of countless illnesses, including:
- Cancer
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Mental health conditions
- Osteoporosis
- Heart disease
- Vision loss
- Hearing loss
- Infectious diseases
- Diabetes
- Dementia
This is just a small list of the types of conditions that we can monitor for and help prevent using preventative medicine. To learn more about how our care can meet your specific needs, don’t hesitate to schedule a consultation.
Why Is Preventive Care So Important for Seniors?
If you’ve been reading along, you’ve learned a bit about the types of conditions that preventative care can play a role in slowing, but there are many other reasons why this type of care is essential for elderly patients. Below, you can check out a list of the benefits of preventative medicine for geriatric patients:
- Enhance overall well-being
- Boost mental health
- Prolong independence
- Detect illnesses early
- Improve quality of life
- Reduce healthcare costs
- Improve longevity
- Minimize the need for intensive medical care
- Address common geriatric health risks
Get the Preventative Care You Need in Edinburg
Here at Family Medicine & Geriatric Center, we’re proud to provide high-quality preventative care services for seniors in Edinburg and throughout the Rio Grande Valley. We pride ourselves on protecting our patients’ health, and we will take the necessary steps to give you the preventive care you need.
If you or your loved one are in need of geriatric or primary care in Edinburg, you can rely on the team here at Family Medicine & Geriatric Center to go above and beyond for your health. Schedule your appointment today.