Following the Department of Health's report into the number
of over 60s putting off visits to their GP, Saga urges older people to do
everything they can to look after their health.
This includes visiting a GP with any concerns but also
keeping an ongoing check on overall health and fitness.
Saga offers a free online health club that provides over 50s
with a health assessment and ongoing support from a health coach team. By
asking a series of questions about health, family history, diet and nutrition,
the health assessment is able to provide an accurate evaluation of the person's
lifestyle and also looks at future heart, stroke and diabetes risks. This is
all completely free and Saga urges as many over 50s as possible to join.
Ros Altmann of Saga says, "Prevention is always better than
cure so we urge people to pay attention to their health and try to improve
their fitness. It is so important to keep fit and active, but also vital not to
ignore niggling health problems. No one should be frightened of bothering their
GP if they have any concerns. This especially applies to older people where
health problems are less likely to just go away. Catching problems early can make an enormous
difference to quality of life.”
Ros Altmann adds,
"Research amongst our customers shows that health is a key concern of
today's over 60s, who are more active and lead busier lives than previous
generations, so it is worrying that they are not always seeking help with
medical conditions and getting treated as soon as possible. GPs and the health
service are there to provide care and help and to spot problems before they
become severe. We know many older people
hate making a fuss, but they should not feel like time wasters or
hypochondriacs by seeking medical help."
Private medical insurance news: 13 June 2012
