But as reported recently by the Daily Telegraph newspaper, many seniors are hesitant to speak to their doctor about any health concerns they have, because the don’t want to ‘waste’ their doctor’s time and resources.
The newspaper cited a recent British government survey which found that about one-third of British seniors in their 60s delayed seeing their doctors in the hope that their issue of medical concern would simply disappear.
But it’s always best to check things out, and not bury your head in the ground, experts say.
“We’re not saying your body won’t change as you get older, it will, but it’s important to get any unusual twinges and niggles checked out by a GP at the earliest opportunity rather than burying your head in the sand," Ken Fox, a professor of healthy aging at Bristol University, told the newspaper.
Dr. Ian Watson, one doctor who spoke to the news source, said he is frequently greeted by senior patients with the words “Sorry to bother you,” but he says there has to be a cultural change for older people to know that they are not wasting the doctor’s time by having a concern looked at.
In fact, it’s the most responsible action to take, whether seniors are living at home or in assisted living communities.