Range of Telehealth Services offers promising benefits to geriatric patients. It has been very effective for these patient populations to independently access easier, faster, and affordable healthcare while staying at home. With the help of recent developments in technology, tracking vital signs via remote patient monitoring tools, communicating with a healthcare associate on web portals, and receiving on the spot care from a doctor via video conferencing has become very easy to adopt. Telemedicine services aim to make life easier for the geriatric population and gives them a sense of security and reassurance by emerging as one of the most advanced forms of treatment in the healthcare industry.

These are the major needs geriatric populations require for adoption of telehealth service.

Ease of use

Senior patients need a portal that is both easy to understand and use for complete adoption of telehealth solutions. If they don’t feel secure and comfortable their trust in the technology will quickly diminish.

Level of usefulness

Typically, older generations stick with solutions they comfortable with. Educating this population of the benefits of mobile healthcare can go along way to gaining trust and changing behaviors.

Computer Anxiety

Elderly patients are more inclined towards in-person healthcare and have some negative responses towards computers and other tech devices. They feel anxious about using mobile phones & computers due to a lack of experience, knowledge, & problems related to usability and accessibility.

Providers Recommendations

Physician’s recommendation to use telehealth plays a very important role in its acceptance in an elderly population.

Telehealth is not just helpful to senior patients; the technology is also helpful for the family and caregivers. The following are some of the conditions for which telehealth can be utilized and managed in the treatment of elderly patients.

Chronic Care Management

Telehealth is highly suitable for the homecare clinicians, to keep track and monitor the patient with chronic health issues. They can keep regular check on patients’ vitals, treatment outcomes, doctor’s diagnosis, and patient’s response to provide accurate help to the patients.

Care for Cardiac Patients

Clinicians can regularly keep in touch with doctors to track patient’s health who have undergone recent heart failure or surgery. They can coordinate care on proper food, timely medications, rest, and manage stress levels.

Care for Immobile Patients

Elderly patients who face issues with mobility due to illnesses like, arthritis, paralysis, muscle stiffness, joint pain, and aftercare for accident cases can also be taken care of with telehealth services.

Range of Telehealth Apps for Seniors

• GPS tracker
• Panic Alert
• Pain monitors
• Diabetes monitor
• Medication tracker
• Fall detector
• Depression tracker

Adopting telehealth not only reduces the number of patient visits in hospital settings, but it is also beneficial for patients and hospitals to save on some extra expense associated with healthcare. Gradual awareness among the people and continuous efforts taken by the healthcare centers will increase the adoption of telehealth technology.