Healthy in Mind, Body, and Spirit
AdventHealth Well 65+ Delivers Exceptional Primary Care Customized to Each Patient The long-anticipated age wave is now upon us. Tens of thousands of Americans are turning 65, 75, and 85 every day – many in Florida, which now has the nation’s highest percentage of adults 65+, at 21%, and growing. Unfortunately, our culture tends to view all older adults as a single homogeneous group, failing to recognize what may be the most diverse demographic of all time. They are diverse in every way, including in their healthcare needs and desires.
Identifying the Problem with Typical Primary Care Offices This dramatic increase in people 65+ has strained primary care practices throughout the state. Many practices schedule 15-minute appointments with doctors who are seeing 30 to 40 patients every day. This makes understanding and adequately treating older adults very difficult. “In the typical primary care office, doctors are so busy seeing so many people, that they regularly refer to specialists simply because they don’t have time to do what they’re capable of,” says Dr. Robert Rodgers. “As we get older, and have multiple health issues, navigating the healthcare system can be difficult and intimidating and the thought that our primary care physician is going to send us to five different places for tests or treatments that could be accessed in one location is frustrating. What often happens is that older adults, concerned about a possible health issue, will call their doctor only to be told they can’t be seen for two weeks or more. So, out of an abundance of caution, they go to the ER and have multiple tests done.”
36
G ROWING BOLDE R
December 2023 Digest
“We asked ourselves, what is true wholeperson care for this demographic? We identified a true need, a gap in the care delivery system, and we committed to filling that gap.” - DR. ROBERT RODGERS A D V E N T H E A LT H W E L L 6 5 + CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
