September is Healthy Aging Month, and AFC Urgent Care is dedicated to helping our patients maintain healthy and happy lives as they age. As you age, your healthcare needs become more unique. Situations might arise that are scarier as a senior adult than they would have been if you were 20 years younger. At AFC Urgent Care, we understand the special nature of senior adult health concerns, and we are equipped to provide a positive, comfortable and relaxing healthcare experience for seniors at all of our urgent care locations, potentially saving worried seniors a trip to the emergency room for routine health concerns. Read on to find out why we’re a better alternative to the emergency room for non-life threatening healthcare needs.

Urgent Care Is Cheaper Than the ER

Urgent care centers can do more than you might think, and for a much better price than the average emergency room. Emergency rooms typically have higher costs than urgent care centers to maintain the equipment needed to deal with hundreds or thousands of complex health events every day. This drives up the cost of emergency room care to an average of three times more than an urgent care center. Most urgent care centers have the equipment to deal with common senior ailments and health concerns – as long as your trauma is not life-threatening, an urgent care center can take care of you. From cuts and fractures to open wounds and acute illnesses, a physician at an urgent care clinic can treat you without a massive bill at the end.

Urgent Care Is More Comfortable

According to a survey that appeared in the 2011 Journal of Health Services Research and Policy, many seniors report that their time in an emergency room ranges from unpleasant to harmful. Seniors often report becoming “cold, hungry, thirsty” in emergency rooms, and many are concerned about the lack of privacy and disorienting environment. With fewer patients, physicians in urgent care centers are able to take better care of all patients, so your needs are more likely to be addressed in a timely manner.

Fewer People and Faster Treatments

The emergency room is the first stop for many patients who are experiencing urgent health problems, because many people still believe that the emergency room is the best way to receive good treatment quickly. However, at urgent care centers, wait times tend to be much shorter, and the licensed physicians on staff can deliver the same level of care or better. The environment tends to be calmer, and by visiting an urgent care center instead of an emergency room, you free up the ER’s time to help patients who are facing life-threatening injuries or health events. An urgent care center is designed to get you the help you need, and quickly. The only times an ER is a better option are during the hours your urgent care center is closed and when you feel you might be facing a life-threatening condition.

AFC Urgent Care knows that it can be frightening to suffer an adverse health event as a senior adult, and our physicians take care to deliver calm and detailed diagnoses and medical advice to put your mind at ease. Managing your health can be easy, with the help of care from a dedicated urgent care center. Find your local AFC Urgent Care today!