Health Screening
Great improvements in medicine, public health, science, and technology have
enabled today’s older Americans to live longer and healthier lives than previous
generations. Older adults want to remain healthy and independent at home in
their communities. Society wants to minimize the health care and economic costs
associated with an increasing older population. The science of aging indicates
that chronic disease and disability are not inevitable. As a result, health
promotion and disease prevention activities and programs are an increasing
priority for older adults, their families, and the health care system.
Many Americans fail to make the connection between undertaking healthy behaviors
today and the impact of these choices later in life. Studies by the National
Institute of Aging indicate that healthy eating, physical activity, mental
stimulation, not smoking, active social engagement, moderate use of alcohol,
maintaining a safe environment, social support, and regular health care are
important in maintaining health and independence.
Promoting the healthy lifestyles of older people is vital in helping them
to maintain health and functional independence and lead healthy and independent
lives. Providing information to you about disease prevention and health promotion
activities will help us help you and your loved ones become more knowledgeable
about the health problems you may face and how you can prevent, delay, or manage
them. We are using the Department’s report called Healthy People as a framework
for providing you with this information. The report, originally published in
1979 and updated throughout the past thirty years, identifies the most significant
preventable threats to health and focuses public and private sector efforts
to address those threats. The overarching goals of the most recent update of
the report, Healthy People 2010, include increasing the quality and years of
healthy life and eliminating health disparities. Within the report there are
twenty-eight focus areas with goals and objectives within each area.
The areas listed below are ones that we have chosen that relate to the Department’s
objectives and the health of older Americans. The list below contains links
to information that we feel you and your loved ones need to be informed of
in order to lead healthy lives. We provide additional resources within each
area that we feel will be helpful to you. According to the 2003 Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, “Healthy Aging for Older Adults”,
nine out of ten adults over the age of 65 go without appropriate health care
screenings. Screening tests can catch conditions or diseases in their early
stages, when they are more easily treated, and substantially reduce the impact
of illnesses such as heart disease, hypertension, cancer, or diabetes. In addition,
the results may help identify potential risk factors for disease that can be
managed with simple lifestyle changes. A recent report from the Institute for
Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) recommended that adults age 65 and older
obtain preventive services every one to two years. If you would like to schedule
such an appointment, please contact a health care provider.
