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

Posted by codered032 @codered032, Feb 14 5:32am

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?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Aging Well Support Group.

ls4mu | @ls4mu | Mar 1 5:50pm

Unfortunately, your story is also my story, and myriads of other patients caught in the web of modern medical practices. Medical practice has become a 15 minute specialty business. And referrals to a "specialist" is as common as sunrise and sunset. I worked as a registered nurse for 30 years. Today, the practice of patient care (otherwise known as treatment AND prevention) has sunk to a new low; especially the prevention part. It's very sad to see and experience. I've all but given up on finding a REAL doctor who spends time to address your health concerns unless you go to a "concierge" doctor where you often have to pay through the nose.

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2 replies
sstopalian | @sstopalian | Mar 2 7:03am

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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1 reply
kforrest | @kforrest | Mar 2 9:10am
In reply to @sueinmn "@codered032 I'm going to suggest a Family Practice or Adult Practice Advanced Practice Certified Nurse Practitioner..." + (show)
@sueinmn

@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.

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i 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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petrullo | @petrullo | Mar 2 2:19pm
In reply to @ls4mu "Unfortunately, your story is also my story, and myriads of other patients caught in the web..." + (show)
@ls4mu

Unfortunately, your story is also my story, and myriads of other patients caught in the web of modern medical practices. Medical practice has become a 15 minute specialty business. And referrals to a "specialist" is as common as sunrise and sunset. I worked as a registered nurse for 30 years. Today, the practice of patient care (otherwise known as treatment AND prevention) has sunk to a new low; especially the prevention part. It's very sad to see and experience. I've all but given up on finding a REAL doctor who spends time to address your health concerns unless you go to a "concierge" doctor where you often have to pay through the nose.

Jump to this post

I 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

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joycecates | @joycecates | Mar 3 3:58am

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?

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2 replies
sanfan | @sanfan | Mar 4 3:58pm
In reply to @joycecates "I've yet to find only 1 and he isn't taking new patients. Good luck. I am..." + (show)
@joycecates

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?

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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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1 reply
gravity3 | @gravity3 | Mar 5 4:30am
In reply to @sanfan "I'm going to a Wellness Center and the MD there is fantastic! I was so run..." + (show)
@sanfan

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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Does your insurance cover this?

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sanfan | @sanfan | Mar 5 8:20pm

Sorry 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.

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Tom Vandiver | @oldflathead | Mar 6 3:04pm

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

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