Care Blog

Is Your Loved One Receiving the Right Amount of Senior Health Care – or Too Much?

We all desire the most beneficial health care for our loved ones, but is it feasible that occasionally, less is the most beneficial? As shown by a recent report published in Plos One by Dr. Martin Makary, professor of surgery and health policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, a full 21% of treatment we receive is irrelevant – which means that millions of individuals put through a variety of treatment methods, tests and scans are receiving minimal benefit. And all these unwarranted health services come at a cost: as high as $210 billion every year, as revealed by the National Academy of Medicine.

As one particular example, screening for survivors of early stage breast cancer typically consists of advanced imaging such as PET, CT and bone scans, and tumor marker screenings – while the American Society for Clinical Oncology expressly encouraged doctors in 2012 not to order these sorts of tests. Nevertheless around half of patients within that criteria were given these kinds of scans between 2007 and 2015.

The final result is needless discomfort, distress, and financial expense for screenings and treatments that could have no bearing on improving or lengthening life, according to Dr. Lisa Schwartz, professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Dr. Rebecca Smith-Bindman, a University of California-San Francisco professor, takes it a bit further, reporting, “It’s just bad care.”

Thanks to the Choosing Wisely campaign, created by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation in 2012, awareness is being raised about unnecessary treatments. “Patients used to feel like ‘more is better,’” said Daniel Wolfson, Executive Vice President of the ABIM Foundation. “But sometimes less is more. Changing that mindset is a major victory.”

It’s important for everybody to be proactive in informing ourselves to the fullest extent possible about any kind of health concerns our elderly loved ones are going through, and then to discuss with the medical team any tests or procedures that are in question.

Did you realize All Care In-Home Care Solutions and our experts in home health care in Grants Pass, OR and the surrounding areas provides transportation and accompaniment to medical appointments and procedures, and can serve as an advocate for older persons to help ensure they’re getting the very best possible medical care? Just some of the numerous ways we are able to help: