4 Struggles Seniors May Have With Telemedicine

In recent years, the rise of telemedicine has helped to make all sorts of healthcare services more easily accessible to people regardless of where they live. However, while younger generations may be able to harness this type of tech with ease, elderly members of the community will face more of an uphill struggle. Let’s look at a few of the hurdles which seniors need to overcome to benefit from telemedicine, in order to explore how to overcome them.

Realizing it’s available in the first place

The older we get, the more rigidly we stick to our routines and our tried and tested ways of doing things. This means that seniors often don’t know that they can get healthcare online or over the phone, and assume that visiting a physician in person is the only option.

Imbuing them with an understanding of Medicare and telehealth service providers is the perfect answer, as it will show them the solutions available and also reassure them that they can get this type of support under even the most basic insurance plan, rather than paying extra for the privilege.

Getting to grips with the hardware

Another obstacle is that for web-based telemedicine services to be accessed, a senior patient will need to both own and know how to use a device with internet connectivity onboard. A smartphone or tablet computer is best suited to this, both in terms of the comparative simplicity of the hardware and software, as well as the likelihood that a built-in camera and microphone will be part and parcel of this type of device. A laptop or desktop PC is also suitable, but whatever the case, if the individual in question is not very tech-savvy, it is a good idea to spend some time with them to go through how to connect to the telemedicine services that are available to them.

Another option is to forego the use of online solutions altogether and instead opt for an over-the-phone approach to medical care. Booking an appointment to speak with a physician and talk through issues is often just as helpful for elderly patients as seeing them in the flesh or using video conferencing to communicate.

Encompassing pre-existing conditions

One easily overlooked issue with telemedicine in the context of providing it to seniors is that while some patients in this category may want to use it, they may also have pre-existing conditions which preclude them from doing so with any ease. Complications like visual impairment, hearing issues, mental decline and more can interfere with the suitability of certain telemedical processes.

Again, it is down to friends and family members to step in and assist here. Even if you are not a medical professional, if you are able to support an elderly relative with accessing healthcare online or over the phone, then you will be doing them a great service.

Dealing with response times

If a patient is sharing the same physical space as a medical practitioner, they can do much more than simply provide a diagnosis, up to and including providing immediate intervention if the condition and circumstances are deemed serious enough. This is not the case with telemedicine, and so it might be that the time it takes to provide crucial care is protracted by the patient still being in their own home when they are seen by a doctor.

Thankfully technology can come to the rescue once again, as more telemedicine providers are giving patients devices to monitor their vital signs persistently, ensuring that alerts can be issued if problems are unearthed by this tech. As you can see, telemedicine has a lot to offer elderly people. It is simply that seniors need a helping hand to reap the benefits.