Importance of Preventive Health Checkup for Elders

Ageing gracefully without any complications is a dream for many, but a reality for few. As you age, you are more prone to medical conditions. One way to catch these conditions early is through a preventive health checkup. It’s not just for the young though. A preventive health checkup for elders is equally important. 

Why you ask? It’s simple. Regular checkups can spot a variety of diseases before they become too problematic. At a young age, you might be able to recover in little time at little cost. For senior citizens though, that’s far from the truth. Hospitalization and medication at a later age are not only more expensive but complicated.  

That’s because as you get older, your body naturally deteriorates. Your immune system becomes compromised, and recovery takes much longer. It also leads to complications with diseases like heart conditions and diabetes. That’s why a preventive health checkup for elders is a must. The sooner you spot something, the better their chances of recovery. 

To keep long-term medical costs down, and ensure they age gracefully, preventive health checkup for elders is best done once or twice a year. You can usually do so through a single health checkup package. If that’s what you plan to go for, here are some critical tests you should not miss out on. 

Important Preventive Health Checkup for Elders

Functional Health Checkup Tests 

• Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Test/DEXA scan to detect bone health and density. 
• Serum Calcium Test to detect calcium levels in the blood. 
• Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3 test to gauge essential vitamin and mineral deficiency levels.  
• Urinalysis and Bladder Stress Test to detect urinary incontinence (involuntary loss of urine). 

Physical Health Tests 

• Diabetes screening test to gauge blood sugar levels. Diabetes is often a life-long battle, which can take a severe mental and physical toll on the body. 
• General and specific cancer tests that cover colon cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer.  
• Regular blood pressure monitoring to test blood pressure levels. A stroke or heart attack in the elderly can be fatal if blood pressure is not normal. 
• Electrocardiogram (ECG) to check the heart’s health. Such preventive health checkups for elders can help avoid pacemakers and other heart-related surgeries.   
• Cholesterol screening to detect high cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease and brain stroke.  
• Specific annual immunizations to keep senior citizens safe from bacteria and virus-based diseases such as pneumonia, influenza, and when it is available, COVID-19. 

Cognitive and Emotional Health Checkup for Elders

With age, your body tends to lose its ability to hear, see and other critical motor skills. Sometimes, that loss is a sign of a larger issue like Alzheimer’s or dementia. That’s why it is vital to get a cognitive preventive checkup for elders. If not diagnosed early, these diseases can be extremely difficult to cope with, not just for the individual, but also his/her family.  

It is also a good idea to get your senior citizens to see a psychologist. Early intervention can go a long way, especially with mental health conditions like depression and loneliness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “15% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental disorder.”  

Getting a preventive health checkup for elders is one thing, but it is also vital to caring for your elders in other ways. Here’s a link to another blog we wrote about caring for the elderly. Following those tips should help ensure the senior citizens in your life are as healthy as they can be.  

Give Them the Gift of Your Healthcare Benefits 

If you really want to show your elders you care, why not extend your employee healthcare benefits to them? Wondering how? It’s simple, just add your parents to your healthcare plan from Onsurity. It is a simple and easy way to give them healthcare benefits.  

By adding your parents to your plan, you can give them access to the same great benefits you enjoy – discounted medicine orders, doctor teleconsultations, and the ability to book a preventive health checkup for elders. Furthermore, they will also have access to health insurance through our insurance partner.  

You get all this and more on the Onsurity app. We believe in the power of preventive care, and believe it should be a vital part of everyone’s lives. That’s why we are working on building a platform that will change how you and your elders view employee healthcare benefits.  

If you are an employer, consider switching to Onsurity today and giving your team, and their family the healthcare they deserve. Not only can you save up to 50% off on your healthcare costs, but you will give your employees healthcare they will love to use.