Finding a Good Team of Doctors

If you have reached your 60s, or for some of us, even our 50s, you need to have a great team of doctors on your side.  This should include physicians with experience that has focused on health conditions common to seniors, and who are attuned to the multitude of changes that aging has on our bodies, our minds, and our lifestyle.  

You also want health care providers who actually listen to you and then talk to you.  Dr. Michael Wasserman, a geriatrician and board member of the American Geriatrics Society's Health in Aging Foundation, stresses that good listening ability is the first personality trait to look for in your doctor.   

If you are shopping for a new physician due to a move or other circumstances, ask friends and neighbors for a reference.  Once you call, find out if they are accepting new patients, and if not, how long is the waitlist.  In addition, before you make your first appointment, ask if they accept your insurance including your various Medicare plans, and if medical help is available when the office is closed.   

Dr. Wasserman also cautions that a conservative approach to treating aging patients may be the best one. He explains, "You need clinicians who show a lot of caution before putting an older person on a medication, before sending him off to a specialist, before doing tests and before putting him into the hospital.”

At MorningStar at Jordan Creek, our goal is to provide the best assisted living Des Moines – West Des Moines offers, and we understand that the best care comes from the heart.  Our loving home promotes a lifestyle of comfort, wellness, and community and offers an array of comprehensive care services.  These include transportation to doctor appointments, routine care planning reviews, scheduled health & wellness evaluations and physician visits.  Please see our website for more information about our exceptional community.  

MorningStar at Jordan Creek proudly provides the very best in senior living with our unique mission statement of “to honor, to serve, to invest.” With a foundation built on honoring God, valuing all seniors and selecting staff with a felt calling to serve, we create a true home for residents amid a beautiful setting. Please contact us to learn more about the finest assisted living Des Moines – West Des Moines has to offer.

Source: health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/slideshows/11-things-seniors-should-look-for-in-a-health-provider?slide=6