How to locate an age-friendly doctor
Dear Savvy Senior: My husband and I are moving closer to our daughter and will need to find a new primary care physician. We are both in our late 70s and are interested in getting a geriatrician to oversee our health care. Any suggestions? — Searching for Care
Dear Searching for Care: Choosing a geriatrician as your primary care doctor in your 70s is a good idea, especially if you’re dealing with age-related health problems. But if you’re in relatively good health, a good primary care doctor with an age-friendly philosophy may be all you need.
Who needs a geriatrician?
Geriatricians are primary care doctors with specialized training in treating older patients. Those who can benefit the most from seeing a geriatrician are seniors 75 and older with multiple age-related health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, incontinence, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, frailty, depression or trouble with balance and falls.
Geriatricians are also adept at tackling medication problems. Because many seniors take multiple medications, and because aging bodies often absorb and metabolize drugs differently than younger adults, unique side effects and drug interactions are not uncommon. A geriatrician will evaluate and monitor your medications to be sure they are not causing harm.
Geriatricians can also help their patients and families determine their long-term care needs, like how long they can remain in their own homes safely without assistance, and which type of services may be necessary when they do need extra help.
To locate a geriatrician in your new area, use Medicare’s online find and compare search tool at Medicare.gov/care-compare. You can also get this information by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227. The American Geriatrics Society also has a geriatrician-finder tool at HealthinAging.org.
If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, contact your plan for a list of network geriatricians nearby.
But keep in mind that locating a geriatrician does not guarantee you will be accepted as a patient. Many doctors already have a full patient roster and don’t accept new patients. You’ll need to call the individual doctor’s office to find out.
Age-friendly physicians
If you and your husband are in relatively good health or if you can’t find a geriatrician in your new area, a good primary care physician who practices age-friendly care would also be a viable choice.
To search for a new primary care physician, use the Medicare search tool. Once you locate a few, call their offices and ask if they are accepting new patients and if they practice the 4Ms of age-friendly care: what matters (your goals and priorities); medication safety and appropriateness; mentation (cognition and mood); and mobility (ways to keep you moving).
You can also research new doctors at sites such as Healthgrades.com and Vitals.com.
If you’re finding it hard to get into a new practice, you might even consider looking for a geriatric nurse practitioner or advanced practice registered nurse to serve as your primary care physician.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org.
