{"id":11269,"date":"2020-05-07T09:00:21","date_gmt":"2020-05-07T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=11269"},"modified":"2026-04-24T13:30:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:30:18","slug":"parent-refuses-to-go-to-doctor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/parent-refuses-to-go-to-doctor\/","title":{"rendered":"This Mother\u2019s Day, encourage mom to schedule a checkup"},"content":{"rendered":"

Conventional wisdom has told us that men are less likely than women to visit the doctor or seek out medical care, but a<\/span>\u00a0new Danish study<\/span><\/a> published in the <\/span>Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health<\/span><\/i> suggests that stereotype might not be as straightforward as it seems. It\u2019s true that women access primary healthcare services at a higher rate than men, but that may be because women live longer with serious medical conditions<\/a> than men\u2014and therefore go to more healthcare\u00a0 visits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, researchers found that while women are more likely to be diagnosed earlier with serious conditions, they still tend to avoid going to the doctor if they don\u2019t think their symptoms are urgent. And once they\u2019ve been admitted to the hospital for a serious illness, both sexes are equally as likely to continue visiting a healthcare provider and receiving regular medical care.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>What does any of this have to do with Mother\u2019s Day? Well, if you\u2019ve been<\/span> bugging your dad to get himself to the doctor<\/span><\/a> for <\/span>his <\/span><\/i>health, you\u2019ll want to make sure you don\u2019t neglect Mom\u2014she could also be ignoring worrying symptoms simply because they don\u2019t seem urgent enough. Since early detection and treatment of serious illnesses can improve overall outcomes, encourage your mom to schedule regular visits with her healthcare provider every year. Here are five gentle reminders when a parent refuses to go to healthcare visits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Emphasize prevention and screening<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many health conditions, like<\/span> heart disease<\/span><\/a> and high blood pressure, are silent killers for women…but they don\u2019t have to be. If your mom hates going to a healthcare provider, remind her that she may actually have to go <\/span>less <\/span><\/i>often if she keeps up with her<\/span> annual appointments<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the leading causes of death for women have risk factors we can catch early, but only if we know your numbers,\u201d says Sarah Swofford, MD, a family medicine practitioner at University of Missouri Health Care. \u201cYour blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and body mass index (BMI) are all collected at an annual well visit, and they are important screening tools [for chronic conditions].\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Your mom\u2019s healthcare provider can perform<\/span> breast and cancer screenings<\/span><\/a> as well as an<\/span> osteoporosis<\/span><\/a> screening, which may prevent future bone fractures. Plus, there are a few routine<\/span> adult vaccinations<\/span><\/a>, says Dr. Swofford, designed to prevent serious illness: one for<\/span> shingles<\/span><\/a> and one for bacterial invasive pneumonia. Even if Mom is feeling healthy now, checking in once a year with her healthcare provider may prevent future health issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Remind her that medical needs change throughout life<\/span><\/h2>\n

Sure, your mom was healthy back in her 50s, but now that she\u2019s in her 70s (and postmenopausal) she needs to be evaluated for health by a different set of metrics.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs women get older, many think that because they no longer need contraception or Pap smears, they don\u2019t need to see a primary care provider on a regular basis,\u201d says Dr. Swofford, \u201cbut there is more to well care than just Pap smears.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your mom doesn\u2019t already have a relationship with a trusted primary care provider, now is a good time to establish one who can<\/span> care for her<\/span><\/a> throughout all the phases\u2014and changing hormones!\u2014of her life.<\/span><\/p>\n

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