Healthcare for aging population must be foremost on every politician’s agenda

My biggest aging concern, of course, is my health.

At a certain age, I stopped procrastinating when symptoms showed up.

In the past, I was more of a “hoping it goes away” person. Now, I call the doctor at the first sign of a cough, a lump, a pain.

I work out twice a week with a trainer and snack far less than I did in my 50s and 60s.

But, because I never liked high-risk physical activities like trying to climb 2,129 stairs at Willis Tower or running marathons (bad knees), most people would probably put me into the sedentary lifestyle category.

Still, as a breast cancer survivor, I consider myself fortunate.

I have Medicare and an excellent health care supplement plan that almost ensures I won’t have to worry about exhausting my savings to pay for care.

Thankfully, I also have an excellent primary care physician. She ensures that I have all my health screenings annually, so chronic diseases don’t sneak up on me.

But she has a heavy caseload. Unless it’s a medical emergency, getting in to see her could take a month or more. The wait is much longer to see a specialist.

And God forbid I should miss an appointment. That could cost.

Because health care seems harder to access, I tend to turn to the internet for a diagnosis.

Unfortunately, one downside of modern technology is that we all become our own doctors.

“By 2050, adults over 65 will make up 20% of the U.S. population,” says a recent study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh titled “Addressing the Health Needs of an Aging America.” “An aging population will place intense stress on our health care system, its funding sources and American families.

“Unless policymakers take action now, aging Americans and their loved ones will experience unsustainably high costs for health care coverage as well as significant declines in the access to and quality of care.”

It stands to reason that an aging population requires more care, whether in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons or at home. And doctors are retiring.

So how did we get caught so flat-footed with this health care crisis?

I’m not a health policy expert, but it seems unfair that seniors end up left in such a precarious position. 

Health care for our aging population has to be at the forefront of every politician’s agenda.

Meanwhile, we have to do our part to ensure that doctors take us seriously.

An excellent primary care physician listens to your concerns without making you feel like you are wasting their time, a complaint I’ve often heard from seniors.

Last week, Diane Davis Johnson, who lives in the south suburbs, reached out to me with a tool that could help me stay on top of my medical appointments and other vital health information: a stress-easing single place to put all of my appointments, my medical history and my family’s medical info. 

Which is handy, with having to answer the same questions about my medical history every time I go to a doctor’s appointment. You would think that, with modern technology, that wouldn’t be happening.

Johnson, 75, held onto her dream of becoming a self-published author for this time.

“I’m excited to announce the relaunch of my health journal, following a hiatus of 14 years,” Johnson said in an email. “Your words about some of us accomplishing more now than ever truly resonated with me.”

She devoted her journal, which she titled “My Medical & Dental Health Journal,” to her son Lucius Jr., who died of HIV/AIDS in 1999.

“It’s undeniable that our bodies are undergoing some peculiar changes, but the important thing is that we’re still here,” she said.

This is one small thing we can do to reduce our stress over a health care system that too often disappoints those who need it the most.

For more information about the health journal, go online to www.dianesjournals.com.

If you are a senior or caregiver and have tips on navigating the health care system to share, please email me at [email protected] or send a note to Mary Mitchell, Chicago Sun-Times, 848 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.

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