March 21, 2025

Healthcare As We Age

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Show Notes

Stan, Clarence, Barry, and the Health Chatter team chat with Dr. Abigail Houts, Internist and Geriatrician, about healthcare as we age.

Dr. Houts brings a wealth of experience in geriatric medicine, having served in diverse clinical and leadership roles across the country. From her early work with PACE programs in Chicago to launching a physician house call service for underserved seniors at Hennepin County Medical Center, she has long been an advocate for accessible, community-based elder care. Currently, she leads as Medical Director for Ambulatory Services at the Minnesota Department of Human Services and continues to provide personalized care through her private practice, Wraparound House Calls, LLC.

Join us for an enlightening discussion about healthcare as we age and community-centered elder care, and stay tuned to gain fresh perspectives on building more equitable healthcare systems for older adults.

Join the conversation at healthchatterpodcast.com

Brought to you in support of Hue-MAN, who is Creating Healthy Communities through Innovative Partnerships.

More about their work can be found at huemanpartnership.org.

Research

People are living longer

By 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over.

At this time the share of the population aged 60 years and over will increase from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion.

The number of persons aged 80 years or older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million.

Common conditions in older age (As people age, they are more likely to experience several conditions at the same time)

Hearing loss
Cataracts and refractive errors
Back and neck pain and
Osteoarthritis,
Chronic obstructive pulmonary
Disease
Diabetes
Depression
Dementia

Senior Living

Independent Living

Seniors who are relatively independent and can manage their daily activities without significant assistance

Assisted Living

Seniors who need help with activities of daily living (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, and medication management, but are otherwise relatively independent

Memory Care

Seniors living with Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, requiring specialized care and a secure environment

Long-Term Care (Skilled Nursing Facilities/Nursing Homes)

Seniors who require extensive medical and nursing care, often due to chronic illnesses or disabilities

Social Determinants of Health/Older Adults

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.

Older adults with lower incomes are more likely to have disabilities and die younger. In addition, disability is likely to start earlier in life for people with lower incomes — further raising the risk of early mortality.
Social isolation and loneliness are associated with a higher risk of dementia and other serious health problems in older adults — while having positive social relationships can help people live longer, healthier lives.
About 8 in 10 older adults struggle to use medical documents like forms or charts, which could make it harder for them to make well-informed health decisions.
Most older adults in the United States have at least 1 chronic health condition, making access to affordable, quality health care a priority. However, factors like a lack of health care options in rural areas, high out-of-pocket costs, and transitions from private insurance to Medicare often complicate older adults’ care.
As mobility decreases with age, accessible neighborhoods and a built environment with convenient access to grocery stores and safe places to get active become increasingly important.

Ageism in Healthcare

Ageism can manifest as ignoring or dismissing treatable concerns—falls, joint pain, hearing or vision loss—that would be checked out right away in younger patients.

Age-based prejudice leads to serious inequalities, including missed or delayed diagnoses and less information about medical decisions and treatment side effects.
Older adults are largely left out of clinical trials, which could be lifesaving, showing how drugs affect people differently with age.
Further, ageism overlaps with racism and other forms of discrimination, making accessing healthcare even harder for certain individuals as they get older.

Tips for Healthy Aging

Healthy aging means adopting healthy habits and making positive lifestyle choices that contribute to health and well-being as we grow older.

Nutrition. Maintain a healthy, balanced diet.
Physical activity. Keep your body active by doing regular exercise.
Mental functioning: Keep your mind stimulated and get enough sleep.
Social well-being: Stay socially connected and engaged with others.
Emotional well-being: Take care of your emotional well-being, including managing stress, having a positive outlook, and seeking support when needed.
Injury prevention: Try to avoid falls and other injuries by taking precautions and practicing safe driving.
Health care routine: Keep up with regular health checkups, vaccines, and screenings; and manage any chronic conditions.