Health checks for women 70 and over
At this age the question shifts from "what can we find" to "would we act on it". An item is worth doing only if the result would genuinely change the plan.
Asked at every age, not just yours
- Blood pressure — the cheapest measurement and the one most often skipped
- Weight and waist, recorded over time rather than measured once
- A complete list of medicines and supplements, including anything bought without a prescription
- Any allergies you have had, to medicines and to anything else
- Family history, with the AGE at which relatives were affected — the age is the detail that shifts a schedule
🫀 Heart and metabolic
- Blood pressure — including standing, since postural drops cause falls
- Glucose and kidney function
- Irregular heart rhythm
🎗️ Cancer screening
- Ask directly which programmes still apply to you and which have reached their end point
- Any sore that does not heal, unusual bleeding, or weight loss
- The decision rests on overall health, not on age alone
💉 Infection and vaccination
- Seasonal vaccination
- Pneumococcal and shingles vaccination
- At this age an infection may show as confusion rather than fever
🦴 Bones, senses and mobility
- Falls risk, balance and strength — the most important item
- Bone health and any previous fracture
- Vision and hearing, since both raise falls risk
🧠 Mental health and lifestyle
- Memory and ability to manage daily tasks
- Mood, loneliness and sleep
- Medication review: stopping one is sometimes more useful than adding one
What changes this list for you
- A previous fall, or fear of falling that limits moving about
- Eating less or losing weight
- Many medicines, or a recent hospital stay
Any one of these can move a starting point earlier or change how often something is repeated. That is a conversation to have, not something to work out alone.
Questions to take with you
- If we found something, would we act on it
- Which items can I drop, and is dropping them safe
- What best keeps me independent for longest