How to find a doctor interested in providing care for aging patients?

u r correct. I feel the same way you feel I will keep far away. from. docs

u r correct. I feel the same way you feel I will keep far away. from. docs

@codered032 I'm going to suggest a Family Practice or Adult Practice Advanced Practice Certified Nurse Practitioner (AP-CNP.) Here is my reasoning - so far your health conditions and medications are not complex and you're are not seeing a lot of doctors, so case management is not the issue - TIME is the issue.

An AP-CNP has a PhD in nursing practice, backed by several thousand hours of hands-on nursing experience. In most clinical situations, NP's are given a longer appointment window (20-30 minutes) for each patient, and in Family Practice, their job is to see the whole picture - not necessarily to treat everything, but to see the "bigger picture" - and to make referrals as needed.

I had the same CNP (for over 20 years - we "grew old together") who was able to see me through lots of complications that required specialists and help manage asthma & pain. It was she who found 2 of my medications reacting with one another - she coordinated the change to a safer situation. She got me to a pulmonologist when my asthma went out of control, and she helped me to finally see that my chronic pain needed a closer look after tylenol & ibuprofen no longer did the job and got me into a pain management clinic that helped me make life changes instead of turning to opioids.

Does the clinic you go to have AP-CNP's? You might want to give it a try.

True- it’s hard to find a ‘team’ but that is what it takes. GO for overview and specialists for particular. I have been told by several snow that there is nothing they can do for me. My pain dr. Tries to keep me comfortable - I take as little as possible. But at 78 with my muscle atrophy it’s up to me to PT as hard as I can and try to hold on. Bravery is essential! Yup

Are you in a location where you have many choices of doctors? If so, study the system, look for biographies and reviews. And that's just a start. Ask friends about their doctors.

At least once a year you can schedule a new doctor for your Annual Wellness Visit. Some clinics will also support "new patient" visits if you change to a new doctor.

In preparation for any visit I suggest you create a one page "Health Concerns" document. Write direct sentences with bullet points. Name each concern, but don't overload details. Edit as necessary to one page or less. This shows you take your health seriously and will invest time and thought into your health needs. Make two copies, one for the doctor and one for you. Take charge of the visit, going through the list point by point with the doctor. A doctor who wants to give whole care will be grateful for your effort. You should be able to go through the list with time left for the doctor to pursue and issues she wants to add. [Keep a copy of this list and update it for every visit.]

Doctors are under great time pressure, but I've found that there are doctors who manage to get a lot covered in the standard visit, and they will usually continue the visit if you stay on topics that matter. My doctor always ends the visit by asking if there's anything else I want to ask her, even when we're overtime.

When we moved to Durham we chose doctors in the Duke system because it is large and broad, offering lots of choices. My first doctor was yucky. I changed to a second doctor who I liked a lot, but she moved to a different location, and was close to retirement, so I found another doctor who is in a nearby clinic. In between visits I communicate with her and her nurse via text message, getting encouragement, self-care advice and quick appointments when needed. She has also referred my wife and me to specialists out of the Duke system when she thought they would offer faster care.

Good luck in your search!

Thank you for your support. I attend a warm water pool several times a week. I have developed, with research, my own personal routine. But on occasions I have flare up that Tylenol doesn’t help. Because of my kidney disease, I try to avoid as much as possible anti inflammatories. There are days when it is a real struggle just to walk.

Thank you for your support. I attend a warm water pool several times a week. I have developed, with research, my own personal routine. But on occasions I have flare up that Tylenol doesn’t help. Because of my kidney disease, I try to avoid as much as possible anti inflammatories. There are days when it is a real struggle just to walk.

I have RA and pulmonary fibrosis and am supposed to have a team. I can't get that worked out. I have constant inflammation and other difficulties. But no one seems to be together in caring for the conditions, or for my issues for that matter. As a 78 year old woman, I often think it is my age. Or maybe I have a personality that bothers others. In any case, I do keep blaming myself for one thing, but the other is a choice to consider the others uncaring and inadequate. I hate to think a team simply doesn't care enough to even discuss or do a referral. But it does seem to me that I am not getting proper care. It is painful and hard and I am left to all my own devices in trying to help myself. Anyone else going through such conflicts with their illnesses?