It’s Men’s Health Month — and it’s time to get some difficult conversations started.
June brings us Men's Health Month, Men's Health Week (6/13–19) and of course, Father's Day on Sunday, June 19. So this month, please take some time to talk to your loved ones about men's health, and specifically, about the need for regular medical consultations, checkups and screenings to better prevent or treat the health issues faced most frequently by senior men.
Like older women, older men are at increased risk of developing numerous health conditions, such as liver disease, cancer and diabetes, and to suffer from emotional issues like depression and anxiety. There are also some conditions that are more common among older men than among women, such as coronary heart disease, lung cancer, Parkinson's disease, HIV infection, prostate issues and prostate cancer.
But there's one more dangerous condition that we'd like to address this month, a condition that is also faced more frequently by older men than by older women:
SILENCE.
For whatever reason — traditional family dynamics, resistance to talking about perceived weaknesses, or unwillingness to discuss physical, medical or emotional needs — older men are less likely to seek out screenings, to pay attention to symptoms, and to report those symptoms to medical professionals or loved ones.
The following is from a 2016 study of men's health issues published in the British Journal of Nursing, and cited on the website of our own National Institutes of Health (NIH):
"Men take more risks with their health and are less likely than women to be aware of disease symptoms. They use primary care services less frequently than women, with likely impacts on health outcomes, especially for mental health..."
This June, do not let silence become a risky health behavior for your male loved ones. Encourage them to talk openly and honestly about their physical and emotional health, and to disclose any changes or symptoms they may have noticed, no matter how small or unimportant they may think them to be.
And here’s a tip: if the conversation proves too difficult, consider bringing in a professional to assist you. Sometimes older men find it hard to discuss potential weaknesses in front of family members, but easier in front of those in less emotionally-charged caregiving roles.
Please call Overture Home Care 24/7 at (817) 887-9401 to request a free consultation and to see if our compassionate caregivers can help you get those difficult conversations started. And if you'd like to have your loved one talk directly with a medical professional about specific symptoms, please ask about our Symphony Concierge Nursing service.
LINKS
“Men's Health: An Overlooked Inequality” Br J Nurs, 2016 Oct 27https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27792439/
Men’s Health Month Information Pagehttps://menshealthmonth.org