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How to find a doctor interested in providing care for aging patients?
I am new to this group so I will try to keep this short. I am 74yo, have been relatively stable health. I have arthritis and have had joint replacement surgery which has been successful. I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease in 2019 and treated with a nephrologist. I have been in remission for over two years. Medical treatment has become so specialized. The doctor will only address his area of treatment. Nobody looks at the patient as a whole person. Office visits are limited to 15 minutes and I am lucky if I speak with the doctor for five of those 15 minutes. I am currently on no prescription medication for chronic illness. Last year I attempted to establish a relationship with a gerontologist who never examined me. She reviewed my health history, that was obtained by the nursing assistant, asked a few questions, ordered routine labs, and never scheduled a follow up visit. Recently I called to ask for pain management because I was having an arthritis crisis and her only suggestion was Tylenol. I attend warm water therapy 3-4 X week and Tylenol was of little benefit. She showed no concern for my current condition. I have never asked for pain medication nor have I ever complained about my arthritis. I got the impression that she thinks that at 74 I am going to have pain and that I have to adjust to it. I know that at this stage of my life I need a trusting primary physician who is willing to listen and be interested in my overall health. Any suggestions for finding a doctor who is interested in providing care for aging patients?
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It is indeed a dilemma. I believe that the 15 minute appts have something to do with what medicare will pay for. medicare reimbursement is already very low for doctors. Try a practice that employs a nurse practitioner.
If you can afford it, maybe concierge is the way to go. I had an internist I loved, who didn't want to have to see 20 patients a day . She wanted to practice in the way that fit her values and ideals. So she decided to go to a concierge practice. I can't blame her . Most doctors don't want to work that way.
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2 Reactionsi prefer aleve it does seem to work better than motrin. i wish my drs were smarter and could give me hrt. progestin. meanwhile, it turns out i have a lot of things going on. severe hip osteoarthritis makes getting out of bed dreadful. i prefer to sleep my life away.
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1 ReactionI feel the same a doc gave predisone am a diabectic11 an he knew it. poor terrible doc made me. worst. presidone am sorry I went to the doc I do not trust docs anymore. our health fear system I failing us everyone knows itPREISONE STAY AWAY
I've yet to find only 1 and he isn't taking new patients. Good luck. I am really wondering if they even exist. Let us know how your search goes, and being a nurse for so long, I bet you know the difference right off the bat. So many people put up with this. Did you ever think of going to a functional medicine physician?
I'm going to a Wellness Center and the MD there is fantastic! I was so run down when I started. I received vitamin infusions first. Made a big difference. I had another problem with my bowels and wasn't getting any answers. After some extensive tests on stool samples they have nailed it. I'm 75 and tired of everything being blamed on my age. Good luck finding a Dr.
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6 ReactionsDoes your insurance cover this?
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3 ReactionsSorry it doesn't. I really don't know why they don't. It's a licensed MD. She has another clinic where she does her regular doctor work.
I’m only 86 years young & had the same problem when our excellent PCP boss decided to only accept one Insurance, which we did not have and we had about 8 Drs who did 💰 So after a search in our area, NW Florida Pensacola we found Ochsner 65. Who only takes Patients over 65. Their local unit is only 5 miles Now after a year, we very pleased. Contact us by PM and we will try to help 🥰 They have Offices in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. It our choice to share this information we are not paid
Dear people,
I have just caught up with all your posts about doctors and ageing, and as I am 72 and suffer from a terminal illness I can identify with all your comments. In medicine there is a specialized field called Gerontology. Gerontoligists are doctors who specialize in treating older patients, and are aware of the process of ageing and experienced in treating the multiple issues and illnesses that we come across in old age. I don't know whether you have ready access to doctors, but I would recommend you ask your GP to refer you to a gerontologist who will be sensitive to your needs and issues. He/she can be a one-stop go- to doctor to help you navigate your multiple problems. Each specialist only sees the problems in his/her area, but a gerontologist can pull all the threads together and advise you on a plan to deal with all the different issues. What have you got to lose?
Best wishes,
@ellu
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1 Reaction@oldflathead Not sure what you are referring to when you say " we found Ochsner 65." I think you mean a health insurance plan?? I found an Ochsner site and copied this:
https://ochsnerhealthplan.com/our-plans/
"Ochsner Health Plan previously offered Medicare Advantage HMO and HMO D-SNP plans under a contract with Medicare and the Louisiana Medicaid Program. All Ochsner Health Plan Medicare Advantage coverage ended December 31, 2025. This information is maintained for reference and applies only to services received on or before December 31, 2025."
As you know, one has to be sure the a health insurance company is financially stable and won't suddenly go out of business or discontinue the health plan due to their approach to carrying out their business plan.
Barbara