The medical profession should help patients prevent future health problems, which can deplete them of money, based on high deductibles and insurance denials. Older people often have higher expenses that are not all covered by Medicare and Medicaid, such as nursing homes and other assisted living facilities Therefore, preventing other future healthcare issues when an elderly patient is in the hospital is a good idea. I feel that in some cases, such as a person who is overweight, preventative measures can focus on getting a nutritionist to plan meals for patients. The importance of exercise and an exercise plan can also be instituted for he person.

For individuals in their nineties, people who are very sick, or individuals who are in the advanced stages of a disease, such as COPD or pancreatic cancer, it may be too overwhelming and inappropriate to deal with prevention. For people who get bronchitis or pneumonia and are having extreme difficulty breathing, due to smoking too much, the hospital setting may not be such a good place for starting preventative measures.

Perhaps, when the patient has been home for a few days, the preventative measures can start. One thing to do for people with lung diseases is to encourage them to stop smoking. Sometimes, people only stop smoking if they realize that they are putting other people’s health at risk. Secondhand smoke is dangerous, full of harsh chemicals and carcinogens that can cause lung cancer in other individuals who are exposed to it . This facts needs to be explained to smokers, so they will hopefully cut down or stop smoking.

As you can see, preventive health measures, in and out of the hospital, is important.

References

• Secondhand smoke: What is seocondhand smoke? (2014, February 11). Retrieved from American Cancer Society, Inc.: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/tobaccocancer/secondhand-smoke

• (2009). The centers for Medicare and Medicaid services: guidance to the states on the low-income subsidy.