February 2008 Vol. 27. No. 2

Published by the Humboldt Senior Resource Center in Eureka, California. HSRC is a non-profit community-based organization offering services for senior citizens, multi-generational families and caregivers.

Staying the course: Valentine dance began 70 years together
Area 1 Agency on Aging: New Information Directory for seniors is here
Around the Center: Check out the Public Health Department’s free clinics for adults
Blood draws: Take advantage of St. Joseph’s offer
Senior Center Conversations: Lloyd Perkins at 99 is going strong
Healthy innards: Strengthening the pelvic floor

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Around the Center
Check out the Public Health Department’s free clinics for adults
by Danna Bates

Along with our usual resolutions that we make at the first of the year, we should address our increasing medical needs. Some of you may be experiencing difficulties finding a doctor or have recently lost your doctor.

With ever-increasing overhead costs, we have lost several doctors in our area. This can put a hardship on patients, especially those on Medicare or Medi-Cal.

Many doctors are no longer accepting new Medicare or Medi-Cal patients. Why? If doctors saw Medicare or Medi-Cal patients all day long, within a few months they would have to shut down and declare bankruptcy.

The reason is simple. Both these programs only pay a small fraction of what the bill is. Payments are so small that they do not cover the doctor’s costs of providing these services. This is why so many doctors are having to turn away new patients covered by these programs.

So what do you do until you find a doctor if you find yourself in need of medical attention? Simple, you make an appointment with the Preventive Health Care for Adults (PHCA) clinic. This is a wonderful free service for all adults age 50 and older regardless of income.

Even if you have a doctor, this service can be useful. This program is available from a matching funds grant from the state and the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Branch. Humboldt County provides two public health nurses who hold health clinics in Willow Creek, Garberville, McKinleyville, Fortuna, Blue Lake, Orick, Crescent City and four locations in Eureka. See the schedule below.

The PHCA will provide you with a one-hour comprehensive health assessment with one of the nurses. Services provided can include vision and hearing screening, blood pressure measurement, blood testing for diabetes and anemia, review of your health history, update on immunizations, screening for skin and oral cancer, nutrition assessment and discussing and forming a personalized health plan for each person.

What if you have a doctor? The public health nurse can help identify health issues that may have not been addressed by you or your doctor. In many cases we fail to tell our doctors things they need to know. We have so little time with them, and we tend to feel that little things are not important enough to mention.

I cannot count how many times I have walked out of the doctor’s office and thought of something I should have asked, but didn’t. Or how many times have you not fully understood something, but failed to ask more questions because you do not want to take up too much of the doctor’s time?

The nurses can help us with this. They have more time to explain things to us in more detail With their help we can become better patients and better advocates for ourselves. We need to help our doctors treat our health issues more efficiently.

If you do not have a doctor, the nurses can make referrals to physicians and other health professionals as appropriate. The nurses follow up on the outcome of referrals, usually within three months.

To make an appointment, call 268-2107 and ask for an appointment at the senior center nearest you. You will be mailed a health history form. You will need to fill it out and bring it with you on your appointment date. If you do not understand a question or do not know the answer, leave it blank. The nurse will go over the questionnaire with you and can address any issues you may have at that time. Our health clinics at the McKinleyville Senior Center are held on the first and third Mondays of the month. Please use this service. It could save your life.

Danna Bates is director of the McKinleyville Senior Center. Her e-mail is dbates@humboldt1.com.