When you are watching over your aging loved ones, you must always remain on alert in case they experience a sudden health problem that requires immediate medical attention. Depending on the matter, seniors will need either to go to an urgent care facility or a visit to the emergency room (ER). You have to know the difference between the two facilities to ensure that your senior patients will receive the proper treatment.
When it comes to urgent care, it involves visiting a health center or walk-in clinic and skipping the lines, often even facing less expensive fees compared to an ER visit. On the other hand, going to an ER means a senior isn’t limited to the available treatments on-hand because it is fully equipped to handle all kinds of medical cases and health scares.
If you are faced with a situation where a senior is experiencing a non-life-threatening incident that requires treatment right away, you should bring them to urgent care. Keep reading below to find out more information about urgent care centers.
Typical Situations That Will Require Urgent Care for Seniors
In most cases where your elderly loved one requires medical care but isn’t too severe to land a visit to the ER, it’s better to bring them to urgent care instead. Urgent care centers have more extended opening hours as compared to other hospitals.
It’s also better to proceed to urgent care when a senior is experiencing a sprain or fracture, deep cuts or wounds, mild burns or blisters, or minor eye, nose, ear, or throat problems. Even undergoing pain due to animal or insect bites or stings does not require ER treatment.
If your parent or grandparent is having respiratory problems, such as colds, nasal congestion, and other signs they’re coming down with the flu, it can be taken care of at an urgent care facility. That way, they won’t require assistance from a specific doctor because a certified healthcare provider can watch over them.
When Is a Health Issue Not Considered Urgent?
Receiving the proper medical help will depend on your loved one’s current situation. If, for example, they have a sore throat or a recurring cold, it’s best to check if your senior’s primary care doctor is available.
Since the doctor already knows your loved one’s condition based on their previous visits, they know the situation enough and whether other underlying conditions are involved. That way, they can provide the necessary treatment without any doubts.
If your concern is the medical bills, it will still be best to stick to your senior’s doctor because they have insurance coverage to help them minimize the costs. But in the event that the doctor isn’t available, only then can urgent care be your next option. Be sure to check on your insurance and if it applies to your senior’s case.
How to Know a Senior Needs to Visit Urgent Care
During instances where your loved one faces a health problem, even though it isn’t necessarily a severe complication, they may still require medical assistance. As a result, you should visit the nearest urgent care clinic as soon as possible.
If your parent or grandparent has a fever, feels pain in their ears, has a sore throat, and shows any evident signs of a cold or flu, the more reason there is for you to visit an urgent care clinic. Other situations to watch out for include having chest pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Conclusion
Health should always be your number one concern, more so when it comes to the elderly’s overall well-being. Now that you have a better idea of when to rush them to an urgent care clinic near you, you have more chances of giving them the medical attention they need. Since they don’t have to wait until their primary healthcare provider is available, sit through long lines, and address expensive fees, you can guarantee that they continue living a healthy life for the years to come.
Are you looking for urgent care services in New Jersey for your senior loved one? Agile Urgent Care is a full-service medical facility that allows walk-in patients and offers convenient, state-of-the-art, and affordable medical services. We address the injuries and illnesses of people of all ages that require immediate care and assistance. Get in touch with us and drop by our clinic today!
