Telemedicine and telehealth services boomed in popularity during the pandemic, and it looks like these services are here to stay. Access to medical care, like office visits with specialists and therapy appointments, is made simple when appointments are done virtually. Seniors — and anyone taking advantage of telehealth services — can see their provider from the comfort of their homes.
But because telehealth services are virtual, there are some challenges seniors may come across. Read on to learn more about how to effectively communicate with your senior clients about the benefits of telehealth services, then contact us at American Senior Benefits for more information.
How to Effectively Communicate with Seniors about Telehealth
Telehealth services can benefit seniors in many ways:
- Seniors do not have to leave their homes to see their providers. This means appointments take less time and are more convenient.
- Seniors can have access to providers they would find difficult to see in person. Some providers have restricted hours or are located in places seniors cannot travel to.
- Healthcare is less expensive without the indirect costs of traveling to an appointment in person. Gas and public transportation costs add up, as well as the cost of time spent going to an appointment. Yet, using telehealth eliminates these expenses.
- For seniors living in rural areas or those with rare conditions, they can access specialists to better manage their care. Seniors can see providers across the country or around the world to help with their chronic conditions.
Because of these benefits, seniors should have access to telehealth services if they want them. But they may find it challenging to access the services because of technology constraints, a lack of experience, or a lack of knowledge about the service.
Try these methods to help you communicate effectively with your senior clients about telehealth services:
Demonstrate virtual programs your seniors may use for telehealth services.
When you meet with your senior clients in person, show them the technology they may use for a telehealth visit. Explore Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or even Facetime to help them understand the various tools they can use. Hold a trial call with them to let them play with the technology and learn important functions, like how to mute or unmute, how to share their screen, how to turn on their camera, and how to use the chat feature.
Explain the benefits of telehealth services.
Support your senior clients by explaining the benefits of telehealth services. You can show them helpful information from AARP, their physician, or local senior services about telehealth services. List the many benefits, like having more access to their doctor or receiving better care from long-distance providers than they would locally. Talk with your senior clients and their families about the benefits to help them decide if telehealth services could be right for them. And make sure to remind them Medicare covers most telehealth services the same as an in-person visit.
Create and share written resources about telehealth services.
You can create an infographic with simple written instructions for your senior clients to take home and refer to when they need to use telehealth services. You can use a free program online to make simple and attractive resources, and provide directions to common programs like Zoom. Do not forget to add troubleshooting tips and your contact information so your clients can reach out with additional questions.
Encourage adaptive devices that may assist seniors in accessing telehealth services.
Seniors may need more help using their computers to access telehealth services in the form of adaptive devices. Consider whether headphones or magnifying eyeglasses could be useful when your senior clients use their laptop or desktop for telehealth services. If they wear hearing aids, they may be able to connect to their device through their hearing aids’ Bluetooth connection. Help them explore this feature or refer them to their audiologist for more help.
How Do I Learn More?
To learn more about communicating effectively about telehealth services, contact us at American Senior Benefits. Our affiliated experts will be happy to answer any questions you have.
