MASON CITY — According to the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs, Iowa ranks:
- 4th in the nation of people age 85 and older.
- 4th in the nation of people aged 75 and older.
- 9th in the nation of people aged 65 and older.
- 11th in the nation of people aged 60 and older.
With our continuous aging population in Iowa, more people are seeking health care services than ever before. But many say they are rushed when they see their physician. They say they want to better understand their health care options.
The Senior Health Clinic at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health has undergone a name change. The new name is the Healthy Living Clinic. “This name change reflects the changing aging population demographic”, said Shirley Stephen, Chronic Disease Prevention Nurse at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health. “Many people have expressed dislike for the word “senior” to describe their young, vibrant age group, so we are excited to have a fresh name for our same great clinic.”
The Healthy Living Clinic at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health gives people age 55 and older a chance to sit down with a registered nurse and discuss their health care concerns in more detail. During the annual assessment, Stephen, a registered nurse who has been trained in Health Assessment, spends 90 minutes with each client. The clinic provides individual health education, including the importance of good nutrition, proper exercise and rest, cancer detection, understanding medications and other specific topics. If a health problem is found, the client is referred to the appropriate health care provider, such as a physician, dentist, etc.
“Clinic patients tell me they feel rushed at the doctor’s office. They really seem to appreciate it when we I can spend an hour-and-a-half with them to talk about their health,” Stephen said. “Sometimes, they just want to talk. Maybe they don’t understand the medications they are on, so we talk about that. But each client receives a head-to-toe physical assessment.”
Healthy Living Clinics are held at various locations in Cerro Gordo County. The clinics are free. Donations are welcome.
For more information about the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health’s Healthy Living Clinics, please visit our website at www.cghealth.com or call Shirley at 641-421-9316.
