The Top Five Things to Keep in Mind As You Age

As a clinician dedicated to helping adults age in their homes, I've witnessed firsthand the pivotal role that proactive health management plays in maintaining a high quality of life. Aging gracefully is not just about adding years to your life, but also ensuring those years are vibrant and fulfilling — spent out of the hospital with as much independence and autonomy as possible. 

From "knowing your numbers” to understanding your medications, seniors, caregivers, and their families and support systems should prioritize the following steps to promote healthy aging — many of which can happen from the comfort and convenience of their homes. 

It bears repeating: giving up smoking, changing your diet, cutting out alcohol, and moving your body are all incredibly important for better health. Regular physical activity remains one of the most effective ways to improve health, from lowering blood pressure and weight to reducing the risk of complex chronic conditions like diabetes. 

Improving your lifestyle is crucial as we age, with 95% of adults over age 65 having one or more chronic conditions — diseases that are heavily influenced by lifestyle decisions and that can be prevented with the right education, support and personal health engagement.

One of the most crucial steps seniors can take is to "know their numbers"—tracking health indicators like blood pressure, weight, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar. Routine testing for chronic and earlier-detected conditions is also essential for aging healthily, including screenings for the most common yet debilitating diseases, such as heart disease, kidney disease, COPD, and diabetes. 

Early disease detection gives seniors and their care teams the information to manage and control disease progression, directly affecting their longer-term health. 

Many aging adults don't know they're experiencing cognitive decline but will recognize and get frustrated by certain changes, like memory loss and attention deficit, to feelings of sadness, loneliness and depression. Cognitive and mental health challenges may also compound as we age, particularly when people spend more time at home – many times, alone. And a lot of this decline is untracked — an NIH study found more than 50% of patients with dementia had not received a clinical cognitive evaluation by a physician. 

Aging adults need easy-to-access pathways to monitor and improve their mental and cognitive health, including getting the proper screenings for things like anxiety and depression, as well as cognitive impairment like dementia. With the right education and support, they have the information and care journey to take the next best action. In a study conducted by Signify Health, 43% of members of a large, regional Medicare Advantage (MA) plan were found to have a behavioral health treatment care gap. To address the unmet need, Signify Health and the Plan partnered with a behavioral health organization that specializes in matching members to in-network behavioral health providers and services.

As we age, the number of prescriptions we receive commonly increases. Incredibly, the average adult aged 50 - 64 is prescribed 13 medications, with that number increasing to 20 for those 65-79 and 22 for those 80 and older. Adding to the medication management complexity is that many of these drugs are being prescribed by multiple providers and filled at multiple pharmacies. 

Moreover, not taking medications correctly, or at all, can cause a snowball effect of unmanaged health conditions, while taking certain combinations of drugs — including common OTC medications and supplements— can lead to avoidable interactions, emergency room visits, hospitalizations or even death. 

Getting a comprehensive medication review, then, is one of the most important steps seniors can take to ensure they are as engaged in their health as they should be. 

At Signify, during our In-Home Health Evaluations (IHE), our clinicians sit with each member and review both their prescribed medications, and  those they’re taking over-the-counter. When needed, they refer seniors back to their primary care and specialty physicians after a visit if they have any concerns that adjustments might be necessary. 

Staying engaged and regularly receiving care from a primary care provider (PCP), better known as your regular doctor, can have a huge impact on improving your overall health journey. It’s easier said than done. 20% of Americans are currently living in rural areas. These populations often have a harder time accessing health care services which is why adding extra value through IHEs can serve as a way for these populations to engage with providers in the convenience of the home. While not replacing the primary care physician, the IHE is an added touchpoint in a health plan member’s care journey. Meeting people where they are and being able to understand their medical, social, and environmental needs allows us to bridge gaps in their care and inform them with the information they need to stay engaged with their PCP. 

By scheduling an In-Home Health Evaluation, offered at no out-of-pocket cost to eligible health plan members, Signify Health clinicians, including myself, can help seniors understand the symptoms they shouldn’t ignore, be the eyes and ears in the home when family or care support can’t be there, and encourage members to improve their lifestyle to age healthily. 

If you or a loved one is interested in engaging more in your health as you age, keep these things in mind and visit our self-scheduling portal to see if you’re eligible for an In-Home Health Evaluation. They are easy to schedule, only take an hour and are part of your Medicare Advantage benefits, so they are of no cost to you.