New York Daily News has published an op-ed by JAHF President Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, on “Better Health Care for Older Americans: Our Current System Fails Us As We Age.”
Dr. Fulmer talks about the results of a new consumer survey. “The John A. Hartford Foundation, the philanthropic organization I lead, recently partnered with WebMD to conduct a survey on older people’s health care.” Older adults and their caregivers tend to think that decline and debility are inevitable as we age – but they’re not.
There are factors that should be addressed, such as overmedication and a lack of physical and mental stimulation. Dr. Fulmer points out that there can be “better, more age-friendly care. This starts with patients and their caregivers discussing their health-care and lifestyle goals, preferences and what matters most to them.”
“It’s time for patients, providers and caregivers to embrace a different approach to aging — one that values each older person as an individual with unique needs and desires.”
Photo credit NY Daily News: izusek/Getty Images
To read the op-ed, click here.
To go to the survey report, click here.
To learn more about the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative, click here.