September is Healthy Aging Month, a designation that started in 1992. It is a time to spread the message that it is possible to adopt a healthier lifestyle at any age and mature gracefully. People celebrate this month by incorporating habits like exercise, eating healthy food, and getting enough sleep into their daily routines. It is also a time for encouraging others to stay active and take steps to improve physical and mental health.
The elderly population in America
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, by 2030, adults aged 65 and older are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history. In that year, all boomers will be older than 65, making up 21% of the population.
By 2060, nearly one in four Americans will be 65 years and older, the number of 85-plus will triple, and the country will add a half million centenarians. The government could see greater demand for healthcare, in-home caregiving, and assisted living facilities with this number of older adults.
Healthcare services should adapt to this population’s needs and promote healthy aging to improve quality of life. Medical practices can help promote healthy aging in people while still increasing revenue.
Here are some strategies you can implement to promote healthy aging while improving outcomes in your practice:
1. Encourage your patients to schedule preventative care appointments
Increase early assessment and diagnosis, risk reduction, prevention, and management of chronic diseases for people with or at risk of certain conditions.
Every patient can go once a year without any medical symptoms for a routine check-up and preventative care. Insurance companies must pay for these annual check-ups for all subscribers without applying deductibles or copayments. Insurance covers 100% of the allowed amount.
Investigate how many patients have not scheduled that regular check-out in the last year. Preventative care appointments are key for your older patients because you may find an ailment early that could save their lives. It is also suitable for the providers because they will have extra revenue covered entirely by the insurance company.
Clinical preventative services can prevent disease or find it early when treatment is more effective. These services can include:
- Screenings for chronic conditions such as cancer, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
- Immunizations for diseases such as flu and pneumonia.
- Counseling about personal health behaviors.
Read more about preventive care for your practice on our blog Unleash the benefits of prioritizing preventive care.
2. Promote healthy aging through RPM and CCM monitoring
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) can help detect symptoms or other signs of a patient’s illness. This will allow you to take better care of elderly patients with chronic conditions.
RPM is an extension to your practice that can help you monitor your patients continuously, improve patient outcomes, grow your practice’s profitability, and more. This care system delivery is estimated to have the potential to save the healthcare industry $200 billion a year and allows the opportunity to transition from episodic care to preventative care.
Also, offering Chronic Care Management (CCM) to your elderly patients who experience chronic illnesses can help you get added revenue for your practice in your existing patient population. CCM promotes healthy aging and elevates patient care by engaging in their care plans, managing medications, adding support at home, and more.
Stay in constant contact with your elderly patients to develop a close relationship, improve patient care, and engage them with your practice to increase loyalty.
3. Take advantage of your telemedicine services
Telemedicine has advanced from a curious form of clinical communication to a mainstay in how providers and consumers interact.
According to the American Telemedicine Association (ATA), some telemedicine benefits are:
- Added value for payers, consumers, and providers
- Increased consumer access
- Enhanced reach of healthcare services
- Reduced cost structure
- 24/7 coverage
- Higher customer satisfaction
- Reduced cost structure
Offering telemedicine to your elderly patients helps monitor their health remotely, allowing them to care for their health while at home, as some elders might struggle to get to your practice facility due to disabilities or movement impairments.
Consider giving them this option and meeting up with their relatives to ensure they set up everything correctly so patients in advanced age can take advantage of these services. Read more about this on our blog Optimize your telemedicine appointments with these best practices.
To learn more about how promoting healthy aging can help you improve patient care and increase revenue, feel free to reach us at [email protected]. Our team will set up a meeting to discuss how Health Prime can maximize your revenue by cutting costs, saving time, and collecting more!
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