Telehealth visits are the newest thing in the health community and they really emerged during COVID-19 but have remained even after the pandemic. Your loved one may not move around well or they may not need to go into the office as often or they don’t have regular transportation, this is when telehealth comes in really handy. Your loved one can be in the kitchen or living room and as long as they have a way to do video chat they can sign up for telehealth with their doctor if it is something they offer. Here are a few things a senior should prepare before every telehealth visit appointment.
Have Elder Care Set Up The Tech First
Not all seniors are super tech savvy but they will need some way to videochat their doctor. Your loved one needs a laptop, computer, tablet, or phone to talk with their doctor. If your senior has no idea how to set up technology this is something that elder care can help with and it should be done at least 10 minutes before the seniors appointment. This will help them make sure they are on the right website to chat and that the computer is working for the appointment.
Ensure The House is Quiet
Elder care can help a senior make sure their house is quiet. This means all TVs need to be turned off, any music, and any background noise that could distract a senior or make it hard for the doctor to hear your loved one. The rooms need to be as quiet as possible and this may even mean a senior needs to turn off fans and air filters to keep noise to a minimum. This will also help ensure a senior is getting all the information from the doctor they need to.
Always Have Notes
Elder care can help a senior write down notes of things they want to talk about during the appointment and always remind them of any pre-existing conditions. Your loved one will need to ensure the doctor also knows about these. But knowing and remembering and writing things down will help a senior stay on track with what they want to accomplish during the appointment. If they have a list to look at and can check off each thing this will help them stay as healthy as possible and also help the doctor know what is going on too.
Write Down Questions
If your loved one is taking new medications they may have questions about it or they may be experiencing things that could be side effects. Elder care may be keeping notes of when side effects happen and exactly how long those effects last, but it’s important for a senior to be asking questions. If they forget things easily, these questions need to be written down so they can remember to ask a doctor. This will help ensure they get all of the answers to any problems or questions they are having.
Ask About In-Person Visits
This doesn’t happen before the visit but during the telehealth visit it is important to discuss when a senior needs to go in person and what they will need to do to prepare. Do they need to fast? Do they need to exercise before a visit? Whatever the doctor asks a senior needs to write down so they can prepare for any future appointments that are not telehealth visits. This will help your senior understand what is expected of them and make future appointments go smoother.
Reference
https://telehealth.hhs.gov/providers/health-equity-in-telehealth/telehealth-and-older-patients
If you or an aging loved one is considering elder care in Lone Tree, CO, please contact the caring staff at SYNERGY Home Care of Parker. 303-953-9924
