Taking Control
of Your Health Care and Health Information

“Devising and adopting a personal living strategy means you will leave behind a rich legacy for others to remember.”

by Shawn Bailey
President of OnFile, Inc.

Before I begin, I want to thank you for taking your first step in managing your health care – reading Senior Living Strategies! You see, in today’s health care environment you need more than luck and good advice for living a healthy, productive and enjoyable life. You need a good strategy!

One of the most important parts of your personal living strategy may be to enrich the lives of your children and grandchildren by sharing your vast knowledge and experience. Devising and adopting a personal living strategy means you will leave behind a rich legacy for others to remember.

On that note, may I ask what you’re doing to make sure health related issues don’t get in the way of accomplishing your goals? Does your personal living strategy include a component for managing your health? I think many of us would say, “Of course it does!” But could you explain your plan (and your results) in detail? The answer is most likely, “No!”

As an example, most Americans cannot tell me what their blood pressure is. They do not know if it is going up or down, and they cannot tell me what causes it, or what preventative steps they are taking to keep it under control. Even when managing high-blood pressure, many patients cannot tell me if they think the treatment is working. Additionally, they might also be managing another health condition that complicates the issue.

This situation is all too common and reminds me of the financial industry of 10 years ago. Most of us knew what managing our money meant and we did a pretty good job of doing it, but recent advances in technology now allow us to know our exact bank balance at any time, pay our bills, apply for a mortgage, and analyze our expenses with a click of a button. Although the process of managing our money hasn’t changed much, instant access to information and analysis has introduced new opportunities and risks. Healthcare, it seems, has not reached that level of sophistication. Therefore, no one really knows what their health balance really is! In today’s world of commercialism, technological advances and skyrocketing healthcare costs it’s time to take control of your health. Two simple suggestions to help you do this is to: (a) find a primary care doctor, who you can trust to guide you through this upcoming medical industry transformation; (b) know and understand what is in your medical record, and make sure you have access to it.

Simply put, your best source for reliable, personalized and unbiased health information is your primary care doctor. One of their most important functions is helping you determine care plans that are right for you, especially when you are managing more than one medical condition. They have the expertise to participate with your healthcare teams and communicate with your specialists. They can help you navigate complex issues such as medication use and prioritizing needs.

Even if you feel perfectly healthy, there will be a time to make critical decisions about your health and healthcare options. When this time comes you can be assured that your advocate will have the ability to advise you within the overall context of your medical history.

Next, keep and maintain copies of important medical information. Medication lists, allergy information, family history, surgical history and medical history, immunizations, emergency contacts, provider and insurance information are all things you need to have on hand in case you must seek medical care while away from home or during an emergency. Just as important,
you may want to make sure you and/or someone close to you can verbalize your specific medical needs accurately and efficiently.

I wish you success in planning and executing a successful personal Senior Living Strategy. Gaining control over your health care and health information is one way to ensure a health condition doesn’t interrupt your plans to live a full and healthy lifestyle!

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