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Primary care is an important part of living your healthiest life possible, which is why we work hard at Intermountain Health to explain the benefits to everyone.
It’s also important to make sure that people in minority communities have the same access to health care as everyone else.
That’s why Intermountain Health has providers who are LGBTQ+ clinically competent.
This means certain providers are specifically trained on how to provide the best care to people who identify as LGBTQ+.
For context, a 2024 poll by Gallup found that 7.6% of all U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, with one in five of those being from Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012).
One of the many reasons why it’s important to make sure that people in the LGBTQ+ community have access to primary care is because it can be the starting point for diagnosing and treating medical conditions.
Dr. Kara Chaudhary, the Interim Medical Director of LGBTQ+ Health at Intermountain Health said, “For me, it’s important to provide good care to LGBTQ+ patients in the community because it’s a community that I’m a part of myself and it’s one that is disproportionately impacted by a lot of health care needs. LGBTQ+ patients face higher rates of chronic illnesses and are known to die earlier as a result of these conditions.”
This is why the LGBTQ+ Health team at Intermountain Health is continually working to change this by removing potential roadblocks to care for this community.
“A lot of patients within the LGBTQ+ community face unique barriers to care and have faced discrimination from previous providers, which can turn them away from receiving health care […] when a patient comes here, they know they’re going to have someone who understands their health needs,” said Dr. Chaudhary.
“It’s one that’s very important to me personally to help people, because this is a preventable thing that we can be helping people live longer and healthier lives and it’s something that’s so easy to do well if we just do our best at it.”
Intermountain has an LGBTQ+ health specific clinic at the Salt Lake Clinic, which mainly focuses on providing primary care.
This includes vaccinations, routine screenings and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and yearly preventative health exams.
Having an LGBTQ+ competent provider will ensure you’re screened and treated appropriately to keep you as healthy as possible.
Dr. Chaudhary said, “The MPOX vaccine was something that was more prevalent in the past but also, it’s a possibility that we get another wave this summer so it’s still something that we’re encouraging for patients.”
Something the LGBTQ+ Health team has been working on is expanding access to PrEP and PEP for HIV.
“The way that we’re planning on doing this is by launching a website that patients can go to where they can fill out a form, speak with a pharmacist, and get the PrEP mailed to them in their own home without having to deal with an office visit, or co-pays, or a lot of the barriers that prevent patients from being able to get that care,” said Dr. Chaudhary.
The Interim Medical Director also said that anyone who is sexually active and is having partners who don’t know their HIV status, or could potentially be positive, would potentially benefit from being on PrEP or having access to PEP.
Some Intermountain Health providers who are LGBTQ+ clinically competent also offer video visits which can provide access to primary care for people who live in more remote areas.
Primary care providers can also be the first step towards accessing mental health care that fits the unique needs of LGBTQ+ people.
Dr. Chaudhary said, “In the primary care setting we offer treatment for depression, anxiety, lots of common mental health conditions. For more advanced conditions, we have a number of psychologists and psychiatrists we can refer you to.”
Dignity Care is a homegrown business in Boulder.In the 1990s, Mary Kirk, a registered dietitian, began caregiving for family and relatives. Her husband, Ged, offered a companion travel service for the elderly and disabled. Together they established Dignity Care, LLC in 1997 as a home care business with just two caregivers and a home office.As demand for home care service increased, Mary recruited additional caregivers, but always with an emphasis on the compassionate, respectful, personalized care that was Dignity Cares trademark. Mary created her own approach to senior home care, unique in this area.With this dedication and passion to provide the best caregivers in the Boulder County region, Dignity Care has continued to grow and in 2009 became licensed as a Class A home care provider. We specialize in using Certified Nursing Assistants on our teams so we can bring you the skill and experience you deserve, if you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.
Too many seniors grapple with isolation and depression, but these are not a normal part of growing older. They are treatable medical illnesses, much like heart disease or diabetes. Depression is a serious illness affecting approximately 15 out of every 100 adults over age 65 in the United States.Seniors experiencing feelings of depression and isolation have a higher risk of hospital admissions, as well as a higher risk for being scammed. Not to mention it makes for a miserable life.So, what can you do? Helping seniors stay healthy means more than ensuring they get good physical care. Individuals living alone miss out on the stimulation of interactions with others on a regular basis. Our caregivers serve that dual purpose of providing physical care and social connection. We enjoy our clients, building a relationship with them, and sharing the highs and lows of their days. Caregivers can laugh with their clients and be an empathetic ear. We make sure our clients are getting out of the house and attending events and activities that interest them.Hiring a caregiver to help out, even for a couple of hours each week, brings conversation and spark along with the physical help. Caregivers are a good antidote for depression. If you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.
Hot summer days are a good time for everyone to think about staying hydrated. For older adults the topic of hydration is a year-round discussion that never goes away. Its a serious issue for most seniors but doesnt get resolved because it needs to be addressed every day and cant be solved with a pill.Seniors have a very high risk for dehydration, which is one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization after the age of 65. They have a greater risk of dehydration for many reasons, including the fact that as we age, our kidneys become less efficient at conserving fluids, our sense of thirst weakens, and we are less able to adjust to changes in temperature. Some medications like diuretics, sedatives, and laxatives can also cause increased fluid loss.Dehydration can cause temporary symptoms that mimic symptoms of Alzheimers. If dementia-like symptoms seem to appear suddenly, it could be dehydration which is easily curable.Symptoms of dehydration range from minor to severe and include persistent fatigue, muscle weakness, headaches, dizziness, nausea, forgetfulness, confusion, lethargy, increased heart rate, sunken eyes, dry mouth, dark colored urine. Urine should be clear to pale yellow. I tell my clients that if their urine is darker than pale yellow, they should head straight to the kitchen from the bathroom and drink a full glass of water. Keeping a glass of water beside you all day to sip on rarely results in someone drinking enough fluids. Its more effective to drink the entire glass, even if its a small glass. Seniors cant rely on their sense of thirst to tell them when to drink water. Scheduling a glass at each meal and/or after a bathroom visit, making sure to drink the full glass, is the best way to make sure youve gotten your full daily amount.If you have any questions, please call us at 303-444-4040.
Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital is a community-based, acute-care hospital in Lafayette, Colorado. Intermountain Health is a nonprofit faith-based health system with hospitals in two states. At Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital, we are happy to tell you about us: our compassionate caregivers, our clinical excellence, our award-winning care and even our beautiful campus. But its really all about you. Our patients and families are the center of every thought, communication and action that takes place in this healing space.
Intermountain Health Good Samaritan Hospital senior E.R. is Colorado's first E.R. facility constructed with seniors needs in mind. By implementing a philosophy of care for the geriatric patient and implementing a variety of screenings designed for the senior population, physicians hope that their senior E.R. will help lower readmission rates and reduce the risk of harmful drug interactions. In order to give excellent emergency care to seniors in our community including specialized screening and care, physicians and nurses have taken workshops in sensory appreciation and ageism to learn how to better communicate with older adults and their caregivers. The Senior ER provides a less chaotic and stressful environment for senior patients while optimizing their discharge to the most appropriate and safe environment.