It’s time for your annual checkup with your primary care doctor. He asks about your health concerns and takes your blood pressure. He discovers your blood pressure and cholesterol are a bit high and prescribes prescription medication. This visit might address your current symptoms, but if your lifestyle habits aren’t great, you might be putting yourself at risk for serious health issues down the road.
You deserve the best treatment possible, not just a bandaid over your immediate symptoms, which is where whole person care comes into play. It’s a holistic approach to health care, addressing your physical, mental, social, financial and environmental health, among others. If you find the right team, whole person care can significantly benefit your overall health and wellbeing.
1. Make Changes Before Disease Strikes
Only treating the current symptoms is a stopgap with potentially severe future consequences. Instead, find a team of professionals who can help you make changes before you get sick. With whole person care, talk to your primary doctor at your yearly exams about any life concerns, and they can send you in the right direction.
They may have in-house financial advisors or assistance, specialists and mental health professionals or be able to make you a convenient appointment with someone they have a working relationship with. By treating all the possible causes of concern in your life, you’re more likely able to avoid future complications and chronic illness.
2. Addresses Causes, Not Just Symptoms
You’re more than a list of symptoms to diagnose and medicate. Whole person care addresses every facet of your life and helps you determine changes you can make to improve your overall health and wellness.
A provider will sit with you to analyze your finances, living situation, mental health, nutrition, physical health, habits and spiritual health. You can present any concerns you have, and they point out anything that may be problematic for you now or in the future. Together you’ll come up with a plan to address any potential causes of trouble in your life instead of waiting for physical symptoms to present themselves.
3. Improved Mental Health
By working with a holistic team of professionals, you’ll be able to keep up with your mental and physical health. Your doctor and therapist can communicate with one another when necessary to best meet your needs. It’s essential to get in front of any potential mental health issues.
The whole person care model takes advantage of the mutually beneficial nature of physical and mental health. Your mental health will improve when you seek treatment and by having your physical symptoms addressed, and physical health improves when you take care of your mental wellbeing. For example, people with untreated mental health issues are much more likely to develop chronic health conditions as they age.
4. Overall Reduction In Health Care Costs
Health care isn’t cheap by any means, especially when your condition necessitates multiple specialists. However, by taking care of yourself and your wellbeing early on, you can avoid costly treatment for more serious physical issues.
Your providers can make lifestyle change recommendations and get you the support you need to improve your wellbeing and quality of life now. The current expense to seek mental, financial and physical health assistance is much less than paying for pricey tests and procedures later on if you develop worsening symptoms or a chronic condition.
Jump Into The Driver’s Seat Of Your Health Care
If this form of health care sounds like a drastic improvement over your current situation, you can take charge and find a provider in a whole care practice. You may not have access to this offering in your area, in which case you can assemble your own team of doctors who work well together and are great communicators. Take charge and address all your underlying concerns now before they become full-blown emergencies.