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Study Shows What Older Adults Really Want Out of Health Care
A groundbreaking survey released by Age Wave and The John A. Hartford Foundation reveals widespread dissatisfaction among older adults with the U.S. health care system. That doesn’t come as a surprise. But what was most interesting is what older adults want – they want their providers to spend more time discussing health and well-being over preventing disease, medications, and maintaining physical fitness. In other words, you want to focus on what matters to you.
The problem though is that it’s hard to find a provider able to spend time sitting down with you to talk about all those things that matter. Add to that, 30% of seniors see more than five doctors, all of whom seldom talk to each other. That leaves you in the middle trying to understand and connect the dots. It’s no wonder so many feel frustrated and disconnected. “The idea that you could get more out of your health care seems a bit far-fetched in the current system,” explained Dr. Nick Schneeman, Lifespark Chief Medical Officer, who has dedicated his career to recentering health around seniors on their terms.
When seniors get overwhelmed or confused, that’s when they end up on what Dr. Nick calls the roller coaster of health crises. That fragmented experience resonated with Ron, a Lifespark COMPLETE member, who suddenly found himself undergoing heart bypass surgery. With an active life and four thriving businesses, he had no desire to deal with complicated health care.
The day after Ron was discharged, his Lifespark Life Manager stopped by his house on her way home. “She checked my vitals and my overall health, and then we ended up talking for another hour—about the health care system, how to expand access to good medical care, about entrepreneurship, my daughter, her kids, and the U.S. Senator I was campaigning for,” he said. She took the time to get to know what mattered most to Ron and for the next eight months, she stopped by frequently to check his vitals, stay connected, and communicate directly with his primary care doctor at North Memorial Health and cardiologist to touch base on where he was. “I fell in love with Lifespark because of Kelly and the excellent care I got,” he said.
Ron didn’t have to do anything but enjoy what he wanted to do while his Life Manager coordinated his health around him bringing in additional options like home health or in-home caregiving and nursing as he needed it without Ron having to coordinate it himself.
That experience is right in line with what older adults really want – an integrated health experience centered around them. In fact, 97% of the seniors polled said health is about doing what they love, not all the medical stuff. Connecting with a provider team that understands this, especially as the number of adults 65+ is expected to rise by 30%, is why studies like the John A. Hartford Foundation one are so important.
The study revealed, “more than previous generations, Boomers seek to ‘own’ their health and actively manage their relationships with health care providers.” As Ron shared about his experience, he didn’t want to just recover, he wanted to know what he needed to do to function at the highest level possible so he could get back out on the campaign trail.
Studies and stories are one thing but what matters to you? Once you identified that, you can take action by:
Sharing those key things with your primary care at your next appointment
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Telling your children what you want and what you don’t want as you age
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Keeping your goals nearby so you can see the progress you are making
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Aligning with a health care team that understands you and aligns health around your goals
Getting what you want out of your health care experience is not as far-fetched as you might think, it may even be a call away.
