Serving Our Seniors Magazine: Jan - March 2023

Two local women want to make the most out of life. After reading about my Successful Aging visit at the Center for Geriatric Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, they decided to follow my lead. Eilene Guy, 74, said she wasn’t aware that such an opportunity existed until she read my article in the January 2022 issue of Serving Our Seniors Magazine. “It makes sense,” she said “I already see specialists for my teeth, my eyes, my skin. Why wouldn’t I want to include a specialist who understands my aging body?” Patty Pascoe, 79, already uses Cleveland Clinic specialists, who have helped her successfully, overcome past health conditions. She, too, did not know about the Successful Aging Program until she read the article. “That’s when I told myself, ‘OK Patty, let’s be pro-active and not reactive in your health care’ and I called Serving Our Seniors to help me make the appointment.” From their visits with the specialists in aging, both Patty and Eilene got baseline assessments of their physical and brain health as well as a review of how their medications are supporting their wellness. “I learned that I have a couple of conditions that, because of early detection, are preventable and manageable,” Patty said. “Then I followed up with my primary care doctor and I told him I went to a geriatrician. He responded positively by saying, ‘Good for you.’ He was very receptive to include the geriatrician’s recommendations.” Eilene recognizes that knowledge is power. “No one wants to be subject to some condition that we might have prevented, or at least postponed, because we just didn’t know.” Serving Our Seniors is striving to bring geriatric medicine expertise to Erie County to help older adults stay well longer. Serving Our Seniors is also working to make consultative geriatric expertise a normal part of primary care in later life. For more information, call Serving Our Seniors at 419-624-1856. Ask to speak with me, Sue Daugherty. Making Necessities Affordable Thanks to a local foundation, who wishes to remain anonymous, Serving Our Seniors is able to make disposable underwear available at a cost that is easy to afford based on your unique circumstances. If you use these products call Serving Our Seniors at 419-624-1856. Ask to speak with a Senior Advocate assistant. Loss of bladder control is more likely to occur in older adults, however, this does not make it normal aging. Talk to your doctor. Wetting or leaking may be caused by a treatable medical condition. (Check out the NOMS ad on page 10) Successful Aging Visits: Giving You a Baseline in Later Life By Sue Daugherty 11