cartoon image of a male doctor talking to an elderly female patient

Aging health is care for older adults.

It is also called geriatric care. Medicare is a U.S. health insurance program for people age 65 or older and younger people with some disabilities.

There is more info about getting older on the Future page. Click the blue button below.

Future

There are 3 main parts to aging health:

Wellness care
Prevention
Care supports for frail people

Annual Wellness Visits are covered by Medicare insurance.

Check-ups focus on wellness and keeping healthy.

The doctor does a health risk check.

You make a preventative plan together for the year.

Medicare Annual Wellness Visit Video

Here is a video that explains your Annual Wellness Visit.

Annual Wellness Video

Health Risk Assessment Form

One way to get ready - Fill in a Health Risk Assessment form. Click the button below to download.

Assessment Form

close up of an elderly African American man holding the hands of his female African American caregiver

Dementia Screens

Another part of the Wellness Visit is a dementia screen. Dementia is an illness that happens in some people as they age. It causes loss of memory and changes in thinking. Your doctor will ask questions about your memory and how you are doing in your daily life.

Get ready and fill in a screen.

You may want help from someone you trust in doing the screen. DSQUID is a Dementia Screening Questionnaire for Individuals. Click the teal button below to get it.

Dementia Questionnaire

Easy read info on dementia.

Click the teal button below and print out this easy read. Fold it to read pages in the correct order.

Easy Read

white elderly patient going over his medical plan with a male doctor

Make a prevention plan.

Make a prevention plan with your doctor after your wellness visit.

Vaccines or shots can be part of the prevention plan. Older people do not fight infections as well. Your doctor may advise new shots as you get older. They are:

Shingles
Pneumococcal
RSV (or respiratory syncytial virus)

Tests can be part of the prevention plan. You may talk about cancer tests, bone tests, and heart tests. You may talk about getting help from a counselor, social worker or a dietician.

Medicare Guidebook

Here is a link to a Medicare guidebook about things that may be part of your prevention plan. Click the teal button to get it.

Medicare Guidebook

white elderly woman in wheelchair holding hands with female caregiver sitting on couch

Care supports for older people

Can help them live in their home and community even when their bodies change.

The word "FRAIL" describes the changes and loss of function as people get older. If you are frail, it might be harder to do things for yourself. You may have illness that makes you weaker or slower.

If you are becoming frail, ask your doctor what other help you may need.

Aging services in the community
Caregiver supports
Palliative care is a health service to help plan for changes as a person gets closer to the end of life.

End of Life

Tap to flip the cards.

Advance care planning

Think about future decisions for your care if you become very ill.

End-of-life care

Helps a person to be comfortable as they near the end of life.
Hospice care is a type of end-of-life care that is covered by insurance.

Grief or bereavement support

Help for people to cope with the death of a loved one.

Easy read info about Death

A simple picture booklet from the UK. Click the teal button to get it.

Easy Read

Video

Thinking Ahead My Way, My Choice, My Life at the End

Watch this video on the Think Plan Do workbook from the California Coalition for compassionate care and then click on the teal button below to get the workbook.