Preventive Health Measures: Staying Ahead

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure

While preventing health issues is a great idea in every stage of life, it’s crucial for seniors. Routine illnesses and injuries that healthy adults can shrug off can lead to profound discomfort, hospitalization, and worse for seniors. Yet at the same time, keeping up with an elderly loved one’s healthcare needs can feel like a full-time job. It can be difficult or impossible to juggle your loved one’s needs on top of everything else you have going on.

Luckily, here at Heathwood Assisted Living, caring for our residents’ health is our full-time job. We know just how important it is to help our residents stay up to date on their preventive care and do everything in our power to help our seniors stay healthy before illness strikes.

Keep reading to learn more about what we’re doing to help our residents stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible!

Key Components of Preventive Healthcare for Seniors

Preventive healthcare for seniors focuses on proactive measures to maintain health, prevent diseases, and improve overall quality of life. This includes regular checkups, screenings for chronic conditions, and staying up to date on vaccinations. By addressing potential health issues early, seniors can reduce the risk of serious complications and enjoy a more active and independent lifestyle.

Regular Checkups

Routine visits to the doctor help senior citizens stay on top of their medical conditions and receive the preventive care they need when they need it. At Heathwood Assisted Living, we help our residents take charge of their health by having primary doctors and nurse practitioners on site. Getting to the doctor is easy when the doctor is just down the hall.

Vaccinations

Seniors should stay current on recommended vaccinations, including annual flu shots and pneumococcal vaccines to prevent pneumonia. Thanks to our on-site doctors and nurses, our residents can get their necessary vaccinations on time.

Screenings

Our doctors and nurses specialize in caring for the elderly and understand what screenings to perform when. Here’s just a sample of the types of screenings we might recommend for your loved one:

Cancer Screenings: Regular screenings for breast, colorectal, and other cancers, based on age, risk factors, and medical history.
Chronic Disease Screenings: Monitoring for conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, as these are common in older adults.
Vision and Hearing Screenings: Detecting and addressing potential vision and hearing loss, which can significantly affect quality of life.

In addition to recommending proper screenings, we also offer on-site lab and radiology services, allowing our residents to seamlessly put our doctors’ recommendations into practice.

Medication Management

Medication management has two important facets: regularly reviewing medications with a doctor to ensure they are effective and ensuring medications are taken as prescribed. Our doctors and nurse practitioners take care of the first part, while our elder care professionals work one-on-one with our residents to ensure they’re taking their medications properly.

Dental Care

Maintaining good oral hygiene through regular dental checkups and cleanings is vital for overall health. To help our residents do this, we have a dentist on-site at our Williamsville location. We’re also happy to work with residents in Penfield to ensure they get to the dentist when they should.

Healthy Lifestyle

Staying healthy is easy at Heathwood Assisted Living. We help our seniors engage in regular physical activity through exercise programs designed to strengthen our residents’ bodies and motor skills. Our three chef-prepared meals each day help our residents enjoy a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. We also offer round-the-clock nursing supervision to help our residents make any other positive health changes they might wish to.

Mental Health

Social isolation can negatively affect health, so we strive to keep our residents engaged and connected. We offer regular activities that stimulate our residents’ minds and help them build bonds with each other.

Preventive Medicine at Heathwood Assisted Living

Heathwood Assisted Living's medical care staff takes preventive health measures to avoid major health complications. Our doctors and nurses closely keep watch over each resident to help prevent falls and hospitalizations as well as stop any medications that aren’t needed. Additionally, we have enhanced assisted living available to help residents age in place by offering extra services as they need them. Finally, we have specialized assisted living programs for residents with memory-related issues such as Alzheimer’s.

We’d love to show you around the facilities and introduce you to our medical staff. If you or a loved one is considering an assisted living facility in Williamsville, NY or Penfield, NY, you’ll be sure to love one of our two convenient locations.

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