SATURDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Two new checklists designed
to help people over the age of 50 learn what they can do to stay
healthy have been released by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the AARP.
The men's and women's checklists include the evidence-based
recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force
regarding screening tests, preventive medicines and healthy
lifestyle behaviors for people 50 and older.
"As we age, what we need to do to stay healthy begins to change.
These new easy-to-read checklists help Americans age 50 and older
realize the important steps they can take to stay healthy," AHRQ
Director Dr. Carolyn M. Clancy said in an agency news release.
The men's and women's Checklists for Health, available in
English and Spanish, are brochures that patients can take to
medical appointments to help them talk with doctors about necessary
preventive screening tests. The checklists also allow patients to
record their screening test history and plan follow-up medical
appointments.
The AHRQ and AAPR also released an accompanying wall chart --
the Staying Healthy at 50+ timeline -- that's designed to be posted
in doctor's offices, senior centers, fitness centers, pharmacies
and other public locations.
"Equipping people with the tools and information to stay healthy
is important for healthy aging. We are eager to promote the use of
these checklists through Aging Network Community Based Partners
that reach more than 10.4 million older people and their caregivers
and deliver evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention
programs," Josefina G. Carbonell, Assistant Secretary for Aging,
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in an AHRQ news
release.
More information
You can find the checklists at the
AHRQ
Web site.
