Question
How Integrated Health Care Benefits You as You Get Older
May 18, 2015Administrator
Smiling older woman chatting with doctor
By Deborah DiGilio, MPH (Director, APA Office on Aging) and Toni Vincent (Graduate Health Communication Intern, APA Center for Psychology and Health)
I'm Blogging for Mental Health 2015.
With recent changes in healthcare you may be hearing new terms that you may be unfamiliar with. “Patient-centered medical home”, “health care team”, and “care coordination,” all describe a new way of providing health care called integrated health care. In integrated health care a team of health professionals work with you to address both your physical and mental health needs.
Perhaps you are wondering why both? Many people don’t realize that our mental health affects our physical wellbeing and vice versa. For example, anxiety is related to decline in memory performance and untreated depression can worsen heart disease. Also, older adults with multiple health problems are at increased risk for depression compared to those in good health.
How does integrated care benefit older adults?
Often as you age, your health care needs become more complicated and you may start to see a greater number of health providers. Not only might you have a primary care physician but you may have a heart doctor, an eye doctor, and a physical therapist to name a few. Coordinating care for multiple conditions with multiple providers at multiple locations can be overwhelming. It usually involves traveling to different offices, repeating or relaying information from each appointment during other appointments, and keeping track of multiple medicines and who prescribed them. Integrated health care means that you can focus less on these issues and more on your health. This is because integrated health care teams are often in one place, or are communicating with each other through an electronic patient record that they can share.
How does having a psychologist as a member of the integrated health care team help?
Psychologists can ensure that the team addresses both your mental and physical health needs. They coordinate your care so that we can enjoy a good quality of life at any age. A psychologist can help identify changes in memory and determine if they are associated with normal aging or if it is a change that requires further assessment. A psychologist can also help you adopt healthy behaviors in your everyday life that are important if you are diagnosed with chronic health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes. Perhaps you may have trouble taking your medication as prescribed or eating a proper diet or exercising regularly is a challenge for you – a psychologist can help with that. In addition, working with a psychologist may lessen the need for medication to manage physical health problems. And, treatment of mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or caregiver burnout can result in better physical health. Finally, some older adults feel embarrassed about others knowing they are seeking help for mental health problems. Seeing a psychologist in the same facility as your physician can decrease these concerns.
Tips for coordinating your own care
Just like all change, integrated care may take some time to reach your community. However, until then, follow these tips to take an active role in integrating your own care and that of your family members:
Provide the names of all your health care providers and their phone numbers to each of your providers.
Let your primary care provider know about any psychological, emotional, or mental health concerns. For example, if you have been feeling low, nervous, or forgetting things, let your medical doctor know.
If you already work with a psychologist, ask your medical doctors and psychologist to communicate and work together to carefully review and address your problems.
Ask for a list of your medications from each of your providers. Share this list with all members of your health care team. Sometimes the medicines or their combination can cause a problem.
After reading this article what are important notes to write down keeping it simple?
May 18, 2015Administrator
Smiling older woman chatting with doctor
By Deborah DiGilio, MPH (Director, APA Office on Aging) and Toni Vincent (Graduate Health Communication Intern, APA Center for Psychology and Health)
I'm Blogging for Mental Health 2015.
With recent changes in healthcare you may be hearing new terms that you may be unfamiliar with. “Patient-centered medical home”, “health care team”, and “care coordination,” all describe a new way of providing health care called integrated health care. In integrated health care a team of health professionals work with you to address both your physical and mental health needs.
Perhaps you are wondering why both? Many people don’t realize that our mental health affects our physical wellbeing and vice versa. For example, anxiety is related to decline in memory performance and untreated depression can worsen heart disease. Also, older adults with multiple health problems are at increased risk for depression compared to those in good health.
How does integrated care benefit older adults?
Often as you age, your health care needs become more complicated and you may start to see a greater number of health providers. Not only might you have a primary care physician but you may have a heart doctor, an eye doctor, and a physical therapist to name a few. Coordinating care for multiple conditions with multiple providers at multiple locations can be overwhelming. It usually involves traveling to different offices, repeating or relaying information from each appointment during other appointments, and keeping track of multiple medicines and who prescribed them. Integrated health care means that you can focus less on these issues and more on your health. This is because integrated health care teams are often in one place, or are communicating with each other through an electronic patient record that they can share.
How does having a psychologist as a member of the integrated health care team help?
Psychologists can ensure that the team addresses both your mental and physical health needs. They coordinate your care so that we can enjoy a good quality of life at any age. A psychologist can help identify changes in memory and determine if they are associated with normal aging or if it is a change that requires further assessment. A psychologist can also help you adopt healthy behaviors in your everyday life that are important if you are diagnosed with chronic health problems like high blood pressure or diabetes. Perhaps you may have trouble taking your medication as prescribed or eating a proper diet or exercising regularly is a challenge for you – a psychologist can help with that. In addition, working with a psychologist may lessen the need for medication to manage physical health problems. And, treatment of mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, or caregiver burnout can result in better physical health. Finally, some older adults feel embarrassed about others knowing they are seeking help for mental health problems. Seeing a psychologist in the same facility as your physician can decrease these concerns.
Tips for coordinating your own care
Just like all change, integrated care may take some time to reach your community. However, until then, follow these tips to take an active role in integrating your own care and that of your family members:
Provide the names of all your health care providers and their phone numbers to each of your providers.
Let your primary care provider know about any psychological, emotional, or mental health concerns. For example, if you have been feeling low, nervous, or forgetting things, let your medical doctor know.
If you already work with a psychologist, ask your medical doctors and psychologist to communicate and work together to carefully review and address your problems.
Ask for a list of your medications from each of your providers. Share this list with all members of your health care team. Sometimes the medicines or their combination can cause a problem.
After reading this article what are important notes to write down keeping it simple?
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Here are some important notes summarized from the article:
1. **Integrated Health Care**: A new approach where a team of health professionals (including a primary care physician, psychologists, etc.) work together to address both physical and mental health needs.
2. **Connection Between Mental and Physical Health**: Mental health issues like anxiety and depression can impact physical health and vice versa. Older adults with multiple health problems are at higher risk for depression.
3. **Benefits for Older Adults**:
- Simplifies healthcare by having a coordinated team, reducing the need to visit multiple locations or repeat information.
- Easier management of medications and health conditions.
- Psychologists in the team can help with mental health and support for chronic conditions.
4. **Role of Psychologists**:
- They assess changes in mental health and memory.
- They help in adopting healthy behaviors (diet, exercise, medication adherence).
- They can reduce the need for medication by addressing mental health issues.
- Psychologists in the same facility can lessen stigma about seeking help.
5. **Tips for Coordinating Care**:
- Share contact details of all healthcare providers with each provider.
- Inform your primary care provider of any mental health concerns.
- Encourage communication between your medical doctors and psychologist.
- Keep an updated list of medications and share it with your health care team.
6. **Take Active Role**: Be proactive in managing your own care and ensure all healthcare providers are in communication.
1. **Integrated Health Care**: A new approach where a team of health professionals (including a primary care physician, psychologists, etc.) work together to address both physical and mental health needs.
2. **Connection Between Mental and Physical Health**: Mental health issues like anxiety and depression can impact physical health and vice versa. Older adults with multiple health problems are at higher risk for depression.
3. **Benefits for Older Adults**:
- Simplifies healthcare by having a coordinated team, reducing the need to visit multiple locations or repeat information.
- Easier management of medications and health conditions.
- Psychologists in the team can help with mental health and support for chronic conditions.
4. **Role of Psychologists**:
- They assess changes in mental health and memory.
- They help in adopting healthy behaviors (diet, exercise, medication adherence).
- They can reduce the need for medication by addressing mental health issues.
- Psychologists in the same facility can lessen stigma about seeking help.
5. **Tips for Coordinating Care**:
- Share contact details of all healthcare providers with each provider.
- Inform your primary care provider of any mental health concerns.
- Encourage communication between your medical doctors and psychologist.
- Keep an updated list of medications and share it with your health care team.
6. **Take Active Role**: Be proactive in managing your own care and ensure all healthcare providers are in communication.