Good Preventive Measures for Seniors

For healthy people over the age of 65 who have no chronic diseases or conditions, the American Geriatrics Society recommends the following screening tests. The exact schedule depends on your health; your health care provider may recommend different tests or at different times.

• Risk assessment at least every year; review medications

• Height and weight yearly

• Blood pressure yearly

• Vision testing yearly

• Depression screening at least once and if symptoms appear

• Hearing tests yearly

• Mental status screening for dementia yearly after age 75

• Clinical breast exam; women should talk with their doctors about their personal risk factors and make a decision about how often they should have a CBE.

• Bone density measurement at least once for women after the age of 65

• Thyroid function screening yearly for women

• Total cholesterol and HDL screenings at least every five years;

• Blood glucose screening at least every three years

• Pap test at least every three years; after age 65, a woman should talk to her health care provider

• Mammograms: Experts have different recommendations for mammography. Currently, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends screening every two years for women ages 50 to 74. The American Cancer Society recommends yearly screening for all women ages 40 and older. Women should talk with their doctors about their personal risk factors before making a decision about when to start getting mammograms or how often they should get them.

• Prostate cancer screening; after age 65, men should have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test annually or as recommended by their health care provider

• Dental exams every six months to a year

• Colon cancer screening; after age 65, men and women should have a fecal occult blood test every year, flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years and colonoscopy every 10 years

• Annual flu shot

Working with your doctor

You may need other vaccines or tests that help prevent or catch a disease early. But how do you know which shots and which tests?

The best answer is to have a good relationship with your health care provider. Although there are guidelines for the general population, the decision about what tests to have and what shots to get should always be based on your own individual situation. You and your doctor need to make these decisions together.