Abstract
Women make up a large proportion of geriatric population. Women at the age of 65 have a life expectancy of approximately 20 years, as compared with 15 years in case of men. Prevention of disability and promotion of wellness in elderly women have far reaching public health implications. Women older than 65 years are reported to see their physician less for routine screening and health maintenance as compared to younger women. Significant barriers to appropriate screening of elderly women involve issues with both the patient and the provider. Physician recommendation is the major predictor of compliance with preventative screening. Every office visit by an elderly woman should become an opportunity to discuss routine health maintenance issues. This chapter talks about the core health screening issues that impact elderly women, reviews related risk factors, and develops a practical approach to preventative health maintenance in the older women based on available scientific evidence. Medicare reimbursement criteria for health maintenance screening are also examined.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Principles of Gender-Specific Medicine |
| Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
| Pages | 1163-1170 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Volume | 2 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780124409057 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - May 2007 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)