Remember Beach Boys singing “would’nt it be nice if we were older“?
Indeed it would.
The new Healthy Aging Clinique to Bumrungrad International Hospital aims to make the gift of long life even more wonderful. It should be easy to grow old in Asia and live life to its fullest: happy and healthy!
Today we are blessed with longer lifespans than ever. Thanks to medical advances and global awareness of healthy lifestyle, people entering retirement can look forward to many years of happy and healthy living. Southeast Asia is an attractive place for Scandinavians to retire, and over the past couple of years the number has increased. However, to remain healthy it is important to be aware of potential health issues that you are likely to face as you grow older. Understanding these conditions as well as their prevention and management will help older adults live longer and healthier lives.
Prevention and preparation for a good life
The Healthy Aging Clinique of Bumrungrad International Hospital has been created to focus specifically on geriatric care taking. The hospital is already famous for its self-developed ”Holistic Check Up-Packages”, where they customize a check-up for the different types of people on different stages in their lives.
The Healthy Aging Clinique provides holistic check-up packages specialized for older adults. Holistic care is seeing the person as a whole, and therefore Healthy Aging Clinique will check up on everything to make sure the whole person is well. Their Check Up-Packages are divided into different groups, because different health issues emerge dependent to age and gender.
The standard Health Check-Up of Bumrungrad International Hospital consist of
- Vital signs and physical examination
- Blood tests (everything from blood sugar, kidney functions and tumor markers are being analyzed)
- Urine examination
- Stool examination
- Electrocardiogram and exercise stress test
- Imaging examinations
- Pap smear and pelvic exam (for female only)
- Eye exam (acuity and tonometry)
In addition to their standard Health Check-Up Packages, they have recently designed four new packages for older adults: Holistic Male 55-69, Holistic Female 55-69, Holistic Male 70+, and Holistic Female 70+. They even do personalized recommendations to find a package for the individual and are more than happy to assist you finding the one you need.
Regular health check-ups are not guaranteed to cure all eventual emerging health issues, although the check-ups are great for prevention and management. Dementia is an example of a health issue which can not be cured, but it is possible to slow down the progression of dementia by performing activities that exercise the brain, such as using creativity, reading, playing, engaging in social activities with beloved ones and making sure to get phsyical exercise.
Healthy Aging Clinique
The Healthy Aging Clinique believes in holistic care, too. Based at 15th floor at Bumrungrad International Hospital they offer help and services for any given issue related to aging. The clinique consists of specialists from every health department to guarantee the best caretaking of their patients.
The clinique is in particular focusing on common-age-associated conditions such as dementia, depression and osteoporosis, because the earlier these are discovered the easier it is to prevent and/or slow down the progression.
Healthy Aging Clinique takes care of everything from primary health and preventive care to consultation for medical issues affecting older adults, such as mobility or memory concerns. Their multidisciplinary team consists of experienced physicians and is supported by a clinical nurse specialist, clinical pharmacist, nutritionist and physical therapist. The Bumrungrad specialists work together to ensure complex health issues are managed in a coordinated fashion. That way they can make sure to take care of the whole person and make a long life more vital.
Their services include:
- Screening assessment for early memory impairment;
- Screening questionnaire and evaluation for depression;
- Assessment of fall risk and consultation for risk reduction and prevention;
- Nutritional risk assessment and advice by physicians and nutritionist;
- Clinical pharmacist evaluation for medication dosage optimization, assessment of potential medication hazards and interactions in older adult patients;
- Vaccinations relevant to older patients;
- Pre-operative assessment and post-operative follow-up care for older patients requiring surgery;
- Coordination with partner organizations to assist with design changes or safety modifications to home living space specific to the needs of older adults;
- Consultation and assistance regarding living wills and palliative care.
They even provide councelling for oral health, sleeping problems and many other issues related to aging. Their councelling is regarded both to the patient and to the relations of the patient. Their goal is clear: life is a gift, and they want to make life healthy and happy. Growing old should be nice.
Healthy Aging Clinique open every day from 8am – 8pm (they close 7pm Saturday and Sunday).
