How to assess when older adults and seniors need certain types of care

When a senior develops an urgent medical need, it can be difficult to know where to seek treatment, especially if they have a complex health history. In some cases, it might be best to call their primary care physician (PCP), but in others, a trip to the emergency room may be the best choice. Use the guidelines below to help determine which situations necessitate a visit to the hospital, an urgent care center, or an appointment with a PCP.

There are generally three options for urgent medical care: the emergency room, an urgent care clinic, or your primary care physician (PCP). Each setting is appropriate for different situations since they provide different levels and types of care on varying time frames. The first step in this process is determining the acuity or severity of a senior’s condition.

Emergency medical issues

The most critical health emergencies should always be dealt with by calling 911 and getting the senior to the emergency room as quickly as possible. Hospitals provide the highest level of care and offer a comprehensive array of specialty health services. Suspected cardiac events, like heart attacks, stroke, and shortness of breath in patients with COPD or asthma, all require substantial testing and have windows of opportunity for proper treatment.

Here are some sample questions that can help caregivers determine the severity of a senior’s condition:

• Are they short of breath and can’t talk in full sentences?

• Are they having chest pain or abdominal pain?

• Is the pain causing them to have difficulty walking?

• Are they able to keep any food or liquid down?

• Have they fallen?

• Are they capable of getting up or bearing weight?

• Are they confused or disoriented?

• Are they experiencing muscle weakness on one side of the body?

Urgent medical issues

Moderately acute health care issues require treatment within 24 hours but are not considered medical emergencies. These can easily be handled at an urgent care or walk-in clinic. Examples include minor injuries and ailments, such as cuts requiring stitches, sprains, low-grade fevers, ear infections, colds, flu and other common viral infections.

The main benefit of this intermediate option is that urgent care clinics are open beyond typical business hours, including evenings and weekends.           

Routine medical issues

The most basic, yet personalized care will come from a senior’s primary care physician, since they already have established familiarity with their patients and have access to their medical history.

Unfortunately, a family doctor’s limited hours and appointments mean they can’t usually be accessed on short notice. Caregivers should inquire about the PCP’s policies for appointments, such as if you can get same-day or next-day appointments.

Making an appointment with the family doctor or physician assistant is ideal for relatively mild issues that do not need immediate treatment. For instance, if you suspect your loved one is showing early signs of the flu or a cold, or need adjustments to their medications, then make an appointment with their PCP.

Establishing an emergency plan

As people age, minor injuries or illnesses are more likely to evolve into health emergencies. Assemble an emergency medical packet containing all of your loved one’s important medical information. Bring this folder with you on urgent care or emergency room visits to help give care providers a more complete picture of the senior’s overall health, both past and present.

To ensure the highest level of preparedness, ask questions and communicate clearly with a loved one’s primary doctor before an urgent situation arises to prevent complications and confusion when trying to decide where to seek treatment.  

— Jamie Lim