How to solve the difficulties in accessing elderly healthcare in the USA

Aging is a universal truth, and it poses several challenges to the life of an individual. The term elderly refers to a group of people who have reached the age of 65 and above. In the United States, older adults have been reportedly facing a lot of problems in accessing proper healthcare and treatment in spite of the country’s best efforts. The research said the number of senior adults is increasing day by day and this makes the matter worse. Now, the quality of healthcare is a truth far from reality.

This is surprising because America spends more on healthcare compared to other countries and yet there is no proper access to healthcare for the elderly. Medicare is a health insurance program that was designed in keeping in mind the best interests of the seniors in the country. Though a majority of the older adults is covered under this program, they are deprived of reasonable care and treatment. 

•   The repayment is comparatively lower than those registered with private insurance. Moreover, medical professionals treating elderly patients have low wages. This discourages the students from specializing in geriatric care. So the scenario is that the number of older adults is increasing while the number of geriatric professionals remains less. 

•   Moreover, the problem is often seen in the scheduling of an appointment to receiving the actual care. Then the problem also comes in transportation as it is usually found that there is no one to accompany them to the center. Disability-related problems are also noticed in some instances and the subsequent access to wheelchair and other facilities. 

•   Cost is another factor. Many have reported a delay in getting the care because of the overwhelming cost of treatment. The insurance cover is not sufficient as claimed by people. 

•   The presence of numerous chronic diseases such as heart ailments, diabetes, Alzheimer simultaneously makes the treatment cost the most expensive. 

An excellent way to treat this situation is to contact a healthcare provider who gives the proper directions to this problem of elderly access to healthcare in the United States. The registered nurses, RN or care coordinators can play an essential role in bridging this gap of elderly healthcare in the country. Such professionals work in close cooperation with the patient and the medical team involved in the treatment. 

This is because older adults need a coordinated support system to get the proper care and it also helps to manage their lives. A care coordinator can be termed as a patient advocate who enables patients to effectively communicate with the healthcare providers so that there is no lapse of information regarding the treatment and they can make important decisions about their health care.