By Susan Redmon, R.N., M.P.H., C.R.R.N., C.C.M.

Or: Did you ever wonder why it seems to take longer get better than it did to get sick?

There are as many reasons to put off preventive care as there are hours in the day – but that doesn’t mean that you should ignore your health.

If any of the following describes you, perhaps it’s time to make some changes in the way you take care of yourself.

• You don’t have a primary care doctor
• You haven’t had an annual physical or check-up in over a year
• You have had a nagging health problem that isn’t going away.

It is not unusual to find that young adults and individuals with disabilities tend to overlook health issues, either because they are busy, concerned about the cost of treatment, have problems with reliable transportation, or figure that it will go away if they “ignore it”. But our bodies don’t work that way – when our bodies are trying to send us a “message” that something needs attention, we need to listen.

Having a primary care doctor is an excellent place to start with preventive care. The benefits of seeing a doctor at least once a year are numerous.

It’s helpful for a doctor to know you and know your health history. That way, if you develop new or additional problems, there’s information about any medications you take, whether or not you have allergies, and important health history available to a physician to use to direct your care.

Whether or not your primary care doctor is the one who treats you for a new problem, he/she is usually the starting point to looking into why you are having the problem. It is very important not to end up in an emergency room with a health problem that could have been addressed in a doctor’s office – and it’s a lot less stressful and less expensive!

Everyone has health questions that are personal and/or about issues most people consider sensitive and confidential. If you have a primary care physician that you’ve been seeing, it is more likely that you will feel comfortable discussing personal, sensitive or confidential information with him/her.

If you have had a chronic health problem and been followed by one or more specialists, they probably haven’t been considering other health issues that many adults face as they age. So, it’s important to get an annual check-up to make sure that your vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, etc.)are all within the normal range.

If you need information about a healthy lifestyle and counseling about health risks, a primary care doctor can give you information about the importance of regular exercise, diet and eating habits, smoking cessation, sexually transmitted diseases, and alcohol or substance use/abuse.

As adults get older, there are recommended routine health screenings. A primary care doctor can explain those to you and help make sure you receive them.

Some important things to consider when choosing a primary care doctor, if you have a disability, include:

• Are the doctor and the office staff familiar with your disability?
• Do they accept your insurance, and/or what type of payment do they expect and accept?
• Is their office accessible – both the building, the floor the office is on, bathrooms and exam rooms (including scales and examination tables)?

Some things you can do to prepare, especially if this is your first visit with the doctor:

• Make a list of questions you want to discuss – visits are brief and you want to cover all your concerns. If you are unable to make notes as you talk with your doctor, bring a tape recorder and explain that taping the visit will help you stay organized with your health care.
• Make a list for your doctor of any prescriptions (with the dose and the doctor who prescribes them), any over-the-counter medicines, and any herbal supplements that you currently take.
• Bring a calendar with you in case you have to schedule any follow-up tests or make another appointment.
• If you have completed any of the forms used to ensure aging with dignity (see website information below) make sure your doctor has those in your file.

These are just some suggestions for ways to get started thinking about preventive health care. Once you make annual checkups a regular part of your routine with a doctor you know, you will find that taking care of health problems usually becomes easier. Hopefully it will mean that you are healthier and enjoying life to its fullest.

Two on-line health care and preventive resources for persons with disabilities include:

www.cdihp.org/products.html
www.fpg.unc.edu (women’s health website)
www.agingwithdignity.org5wishes.html (this site has the forms to ensure individuals age with dignity, including a living will, a health care surrogate, etc.)

 Reprinted from "FAAST ACCESS - Spring 09"