Senior Care: There are many different health tests that are commonly recommended for senior citizens.
One set of tests that your elderly loved one’s doctor may recommend they get are screening tests. These tests are done to determine if your elderly loved one has a certain disease. They can also help to prevent things from getting worse if there is a disease present. A senior care provider can be very helpful to your senior with appointments.
Testing for Prostate Cancer
One of the screening tests that may be recommended by your elderly loved one’s doctor is for a prostate cancer screening. This test is done via a rectal exam. Your elderly loved one may also need to get a prostate-specific antigen blood test (PSA). It is usually recommended that men who are 50 see their doctor to get this screening. Once turning this age, their doctor can recommend how often they should have this screening done.
Testing for Colorectal Cancer
Your elderly loved one’s doctor may also recommend they get screened for colorectal cancer. Research shows that this cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in elderly men. Most doctors recommend that men get their first screening for this type of cancer when they turn 50 years old. If your elderly loved one is a man and has a family history of colorectal cancer, they may need to get this screening done when they are around 40.
Skin Cancer
Your elderly loved one should also get a skin cancer screening. This is something that both men and women need to get. Not only that, but you and senior home care providers may need to help your elderly loved one look for suspicious or changing moles on their body. If there are any, they should see their doctor sooner rather than later. There are far too many instances of skin cancer that go untreated because someone thinks a changing mole is no big deal. You should encourage your elderly loved one not to let this happen.
Senior Care: Conclusion
There are many screening tests that are often recommended for senior citizens. You or a senior care provider should have your elderly loved one see their doctor. The doctor can recommend specific tests based on their personal history and family history. If you have questions about a specific screening test, you can go along to these appointments with your elderly loved one. The doctor can answer your questions about the screening tests or any results from these tests.
If you or someone you know needs Senior Care in Granite Falls, MN, contact Adara Home Health Care. We provide quality and affordable home care services for many fragile or senior members in the communities we serve.
Call us at (888) 660-5772 for more information.
Sources
https://www.ewg.org/research/mens-health/melanoma
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4567887/