The pandemic has altered our lifestyles and behaviors, confining us to the boundaries of our homes and forcing us apart from our loved ones. Luckily, telehealth has proven instrumental during this time by connecting patients with doctors remotely. But how can telehealth help seniors during COVID-19?

Telehealth offers seniors an opportunity to access quality medical care as they are confined to their homes without the loving care of their children and grandchildren or their home care nurses assistance. Telehealth offers superior control, reducing their reliance on others.

Let’s take a closer look at how telehealth can help seniors during COVID-19.

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Convenient Access to Healthcare

In the wake of the pandemic, seniors had the hardest social distancing requirements to stay safe and protected. While hospitals quickly became no-go areas as the cases begin to rise, adult patients couldn’t schedule home visits or clinic visits with their doctors. Telehealth helped fill the gap by providing seniors with a convenient platform to access the healthcare they need.

Initially, seniors complained of disturbances, accessibility complications, and connectivity issues. However, gradually, adult patients are increasingly warming to telehealth and its numerous benefits. Telehealth offers enhanced convenience and eliminates the hassles and costs associated with traditional weekly or monthly checkups.

Seniors can reach out to their doctors in case of emergencies with a few simple clicks. Telehealth offers far more superior satisfaction and ready access than traditional healthcare processes. It comes with superior efficiency and enhanced accessibility. While the transition to telehealth may have been pushed largely by the coronavirus pandemic, it was bound to be a transformation poised to revolutionize the healthcare industry.

Boosting Patient Satisfaction

Telehealth offers remote patient care, which is the need of the hour for seniors locked in home confinement in the wake of the novel coronavirus. Seniors cannot step outside and visit hospitals to seek the care they need. Telehealth has proven to be a viable and more efficient alternative to in-person care.

It has offered a temporary alternative to elective and non-urgent treatments, making healthcare more accessible and flexible. Telehealth has boosted patient satisfaction across seniors by enhancing accessibility and transparency. With their health records accessible with a few simple clicks, they now feel more in control of the entire process.

Technology is always empowering, and telehealth is no different in this regard. Seniors and older patients are quickly adapting to the remote patient care environment as it offers greater flexibility. Earlier, seniors were concerned about losing privacy while sharing their medical records or sitting down for virtual consultations with their specialists. 

However, these concerns have quickly disappeared as seniors and older adult patients are opening up to the benefits of increased transparency and control. Seniors can now book their own appointments and do not have to rely on their children or home care professionals for assistance.

Telehealth has proven significantly successful in boosting patient satisfaction among seniors and older patients. Most seniors were forced to switch to telehealth, given the worldwide cancellations of in-person doctor appointments. Experts believe that there could not have been a more extraordinary time for the telehealth transition as the demand is highest presently.

Enhanced Availability

Healthcare has become more and more available as telehealth is focused on eliminating barriers. Senior patients can monitor their healthcare records and receive alerts about appointment cancellations and postponements. Telehealth has worked splendidly to improve accountability and promote transparency, making seniors more in control and less dependant on others for their healthcare needs.

In the wake of the pandemic, seniors suffering from chronic ailments, such as arthritis, diabetes, or cognitive decline, have been at a heightened disadvantage. Telehealth has provided them with a technology-driven medium to reach out to their doctors and specialists and gain the guidance they need to address their symptoms and manage complications without delay.

Older adult patients are increasingly satisfied with the results of telehealth as they can easily connect with their healthcare providers and nurse professionals. They can also enjoy enhanced follow-up care and increased availability of professional guidance in managing symptoms and medicinal dosages.

Mental Health & Wellbeing

Loneliness gives birth to numerous mental health struggles, primarily depression, stress, and anxiety. As seniors worldwide are left alone to combat chronic ailments and solitude, their mental health challenges are rapidly aggravating. Seniors and older adult patients, particularly those suffering from cognitive decline or mental disorders, are at a serious disadvantage.

Telehealth offers them a viable solution to enjoy mental healthcare and readily available counseling sessions to maintain their mental wellbeing. Seniors suffering from mental health conditions or depressive symptoms can gain support and professional advice without leaving the confines of their homes. Some numerous online platforms and services offer mental health assistance, coping strategies, and online counseling to help seniors in need.

Summing Up

Initially, seniors were overwhelmed and afraid of embracing technology, but the coronavirus pandemic has created an environment that has made them more interested in benefitting from technological innovations. Telehealth is one such innovation that has allowed seniors to enjoy adequate and efficient healthcare from the comforts of their couch.

The concerns or fears voiced by seniors about using telehealth in the past have started to disappear. Seniors and adult patients are no longer worried about privacy. They have begun to embrace the control and transparency offered by a telehealth visit. The concerns regarding difficulties hearing or seeing their doctor have also diminished, allowing seniors to tap into the full potential of telehealth advancements.

Telehealth has offered seniors and older adults a viable and highly convenient solution, and seniors are increasingly becoming comfortable using technology. It offers them a tool that ensures ready connectivity and accessibility, allowing them to enjoy enhanced care and quick follow-ups. This dynamic innovation has made healthcare highly convenient and readily available for seniors.