Healthcare for seniors in Arkansas should make life easier, not more complicated.
As we get older, healthcare can involve more appointments, medications, screenings and questions about what we should be doing to stay healthy.
That makes one decision especially important: knowing where to start.
For many older adults, a trusted primary care provider can serve as the home base for their healthcare. It gives you a place to ask questions, stay current with preventive care, manage ongoing health concerns and determine when another type of care may be needed.
Healthy Connections gives patients that starting point while also providing access to healthcare services and clinics across Arkansas.
Healthcare for Seniors in Arkansas Starts With a Trusted Home Base
Good healthcare is about more than finding somewhere to go when you are sick.
It is about having an established relationship with a healthcare provider who understands your health history, medications, ongoing concerns and goals.
That relationship can become even more valuable as you get older.
A primary care provider can help monitor changes in your health, manage chronic conditions, discuss appropriate screenings and preventive services, review medications and help determine what to do when a new concern develops.
Instead of starting from scratch each time you need care, you have a healthcare home and a team you know.
At Healthy Connections, primary care is at the center of that approach.
Our providers care for adults throughout every stage of life, including older adults who may be balancing preventive healthcare, chronic conditions, medications and several healthcare priorities at the same time.
And because Healthy Connections offers much more than primary care, patients can access additional services within the Healthy Connections network when appropriate.
More Than Primary Care
Healthcare needs do not always fit neatly into one category.
A dental problem can affect eating and quality of life. Foot pain can affect mobility. Emotional health can affect sleep, relationships and daily activities. Medications may need to be reviewed as health needs change.
Sometimes another healthcare professional needs to become part of your care.
Healthy Connections provides access to a broad range of healthcare services.
Depending on location and individual needs, those services can include:
- Primary and preventive medical care
- Dental care
- Behavioral health and therapy
- Podiatry
- Women’s health
- Men’s health services
- Wound care
- Pharmacy services
- Telehealth
- Additional specialized healthcare services
Not every service is available at every location. But being part of a healthcare organization with multiple services gives patients a place to begin and a team that can help them determine what comes next.
That can make healthcare easier to navigate.
Preventive Care Still Matters
Healthcare is not only about treating problems after they appear.
Preventive care gives you and your healthcare provider opportunities to identify risks, stay current with appropriate screenings and discuss changes in your health before they become larger concerns.
The preventive services that are appropriate for you depend on factors such as your age, health history and individual risk factors.
For people with Medicare Part B, preventive healthcare may also include Medicare’s yearly Wellness visit.
The Medicare yearly Wellness visit focuses on developing or updating a personalized prevention plan based on your health and risk factors. It can include a health risk assessment, routine measurements, review of your medical and family history, medication information and a plan for appropriate preventive services.
There is an important distinction: Medicare’s yearly Wellness visit is not the same thing as a routine physical exam.
Not sure what kind of appointment you need?
You do not have to figure it out before calling.
A Healthy Connections team member can help you determine an appropriate place to start and connect you with the right location or service.
Managing Your Health Over Time
Many adults eventually find themselves managing one or more ongoing health conditions.
Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and arthritis can require more than an occasional office visit. Depending on the individual, ongoing care may involve monitoring, medications, lab work, lifestyle changes and regular conversations with a healthcare provider.
Consistency can make a difference.
When you regularly see a primary care provider who knows your health history, you have someone who can help follow changes over time.
Your provider can discuss your treatment plan, answer questions about your health and determine when additional evaluation or care may be appropriate.
The goal is not simply to respond when something goes wrong.
Good primary care is also about helping you manage your health before a problem becomes urgent.
Your Medication List Matters
Medication lists can become more complicated over time.
That makes it important to keep your healthcare providers informed about the prescription medications, over-the-counter medications and supplements you take.
Consider keeping an updated medication list and bringing it with you to healthcare appointments. Ask questions when you do not understand why you are taking something or how you are supposed to take it.
If you notice a new symptom or change in how you feel, discuss it with your healthcare provider rather than automatically assuming it is simply part of getting older.
Healthy Connections patients can use primary care appointments to discuss medication concerns with their healthcare team.
Healthy Connections also offers pharmacy services at select locations, providing another resource for patients managing their medications.
Dental Health Is Part of Your Health
Dental care does not become less important as you age.
Problems involving teeth, gums, dentures or oral discomfort can affect eating, nutrition, communication and quality of life.
Regular dental care can also help identify concerns before they become more difficult to manage.
Healthy Connections provides dental care at select locations, allowing patients to access another important part of their healthcare through the Healthy Connections network.
If you are unsure whether dental services are offered near you, our team can help you find the closest available Healthy Connections option.
Emotional Health Deserves Attention
Physical health is only part of living well.
Retirement, caregiving responsibilities, changes in physical ability, isolation, major life transitions and the loss of people we love can all affect emotional well-being.
Behavioral healthcare deserves the same attention as other parts of your health.
Healthy Connections provides access to behavioral health professionals who work with patients facing a variety of emotional and mental health needs.
And if you are not sure where to begin, your primary care provider can be a good starting point for that conversation.
Taking care of yourself means paying attention to the whole person.
Access to Healthcare Matters in Arkansas
Where you live can affect how easy it is to receive healthcare.
For people in rural communities, long travel distances can turn even a routine appointment into an all-day commitment. Transportation, mobility, work schedules and family responsibilities can create additional barriers.
Healthy Connections was founded in Mena and has spent more than 27 years working to improve access to healthcare in Arkansas communities.
Today, patients can find Healthy Connections locations across Arkansas.
That growth has a purpose.
Healthcare works better when people can actually reach it.
Having care available closer to home can make routine appointments, follow-up visits and ongoing healthcare more manageable.
Telehealth Gives Patients Another Option
Sometimes you need to be in the clinic.
Sometimes you may not.
Healthy Connections offers telehealth for appropriate healthcare visits, giving patients another way to connect with a provider when an in-person visit is not necessary.
For some older adults, that option may be especially helpful when distance, transportation, weather or scheduling make getting to a clinic more difficult.
Telehealth does not replace an office visit when an examination, testing, procedure or other in-person care is needed.
It simply provides another way to access Healthy Connections when telehealth is appropriate for the type of care you need.
Medicare Patients Are Welcome at Healthy Connections
Insurance naturally plays a role when choosing a healthcare provider.
Healthy Connections accepts Medicare, along with Medicaid, ARKids 1st and most major private insurance plans.
A sliding-fee scale is also available for qualifying patients.
Specific coverage and patient costs can vary depending on the insurance plan and service being provided, so patients should ask about coverage when scheduling care or contact their insurance plan when they have specific benefit questions.
But if you are looking for a healthcare provider and use Medicare, there is one thing we want to make clear:
Medicare patients are welcome at Healthy Connections.
Our providers care for older adults across Arkansas and can help patients establish primary care, stay connected with appropriate preventive care and manage ongoing health concerns.
You Do Not Have to Know Where to Start
Healthcare terminology can be confusing.
Wellness visit. Preventive care. Primary care. Telehealth. Dental. Behavioral health. Podiatry.
You should not have to understand the entire healthcare system before you can ask for help.
If you are unsure whether you need a Wellness visit or another primary care appointment, call us.
If you have a health concern and do not know which type of provider you need, call us.
If it has been a while since you had an established primary care provider, call us.
Sometimes the first step toward better healthcare is simply having someone who can point you in the right direction.
Helping patients make those connections is part of what Healthy Connections is here to do.
Why Choose Healthy Connections as You Get Older?
Choosing a healthcare provider is a personal decision.
But there are practical questions worth asking:
- Can I establish an ongoing relationship with a primary care provider?
- Can I receive preventive care as well as care when I am sick?
- Can this organization connect me with additional healthcare services when I need them?
- Is care available close to where I live?
- Does the organization welcome Medicare patients?
- Are telehealth options available when appropriate?
- Can I call someone when I am not sure where to begin?
Healthy Connections offers primary care, access to multiple healthcare disciplines, clinics across Arkansas and telehealth options, all within an organization focused on improving access to healthcare in the communities we serve.
For more than 27 years, that has been our mission.
Community. Compassion. Excellence.
Healthy Connections is a nonprofit Federally Qualified Health Center serving Arkansas communities.
Everything we do is built around three principles: Community, Compassion and Excellence.
- Community means being part of the communities we serve and working to make healthcare more accessible.
- Compassion means listening, respecting the individual and understanding that every patient brings a different story through our doors.
- Excellence means continually working to provide high-quality healthcare our patients can trust.
Those principles matter whether you have been a Healthy Connections patient for years or are looking for a new healthcare home today.
Ready to Make a Healthy Connection?
If you are looking for healthcare for seniors in Arkansas, Healthy Connections is a smart place to start.
Whether you want to establish primary care, schedule preventive healthcare, discuss an ongoing concern or simply ask which Healthy Connections service may be right for you, our team is ready to help.
Call Healthy Connections at 888-710-8220 or visit healthy-connections.org to learn more or request an appointment.
It’s time to make a Healthy Connection for Life.