Rising Costs of Elderly Care Makes Telemedicine an Affordable Option

Struggling to provide quality care for your elderly loved one? With the rising costs of in-person medical services, finding an affordable senior care solution can seem almost impossible.

Fortunately, telemedicine offers a cost-effective way to ensure that aging adults receive the attention they need without breaking the bank. In this blog post, we’ll explore how telemedicine is revolutionizing elderly care and why it might just be the most sensible choice for caregivers on a budget.

How much does it cost to care for America’s Elderly Population?

America’s annual healthcare bill topped $4.1 trillion in 2020, accounting for a staggering 20% of the nation’s GDP and averaging out to more than $12,500 per person.

The main factors driving this upward trend are an aging population combined with high costs associated with medical services such as emerging technologies or administrative waste from insurance systems’ complexities.

Additionally, limited competition due to hospital consolidation could also be contributing elements to rising healthcare spending across America.

What has been the effect of high healthcare costs?

The high cost of healthcare puts patients and providers in a difficult situation. Delaying or forgoing care can lead to medical complications, placing a burden on the physician workforce.

Getting needed medication is especially hard – almost 1/3 of people surveyed were unable not take their medications as ordered due to costs this year alone.

Difficulties paying bills create ripple effects across physical and mental health, financial stability, and other daily requirements like food or housing expenses.

What should be done to manage these out-of-control healthcare costs?

In order to provide quality care at a lower cost, patients and healthcare providers must work together in coordination. People need to take an active role in their own health management over the long term, with guidance from regular caregivers when required.

All stakeholders involved with patient care should have access to pertinent information regarding social determinants of health or other relevant external factors. Technology can be leveraged for data collection and sharing along with facilitating triaging of cases as well as transitioning between different stages of treatment through homecare initiatives.

Will older patients accept telemedicine for their care?

According to recent studies, older patients have been found to be just as likely to accept telemedicine services as younger populations. A 2017 survey by the American Telemedicine Association (ATA) revealed that 90% of seniors who had access to telemedicine services accepted them and followed up on any treatments prescribed.

Telemedicine offers numerous advantages for elderly patients who may not have easy access to traditional medical services due to physical limitations or distance.

These include having faster access to healthcare professionals, reducing time spent traveling and waiting in clinics, greater convenience when scheduling appointments and easier conversations with providers over video calls or messages systems like email and text messaging.

For elderly patients who may feel overwhelmed by all the technological changes in healthcare today, there is support available from providers and organizations across the US that can help guide them through setting up and using telemedicine services safely and effectively.

Ultimately, it’s clear that older patients are just as open to utilizing telemedicine as any other population – making these valuable health services even more accessible for those who need them most.

What kind of elderly care options can be provided with telemedicine?

Telemedicine offers a variety of care options for elderly patients, including:

• Remote diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury
• Mental health counseling
• Medication management and prescription refills
• Senior-friendly monitoring, such as remote blood pressure, heart rate and glucose measurements
• Remote follow-up care from specialists
• Nutrition guidance
• Exercise and physical therapy support
• Social services referrals

How can you convince an elderly patient to use telemedicine?

Convincing an elderly patient to use telemedicine may take some effort, but the benefits they can get from it are well worth it. Here are some ways you can encourage them to use telemedicine:

• Offer informative materials that explain how telemedicine works and what services it can provide them with.
• Ask their healthcare provider if there is any free support that they can access to help them understand and set up the technology.
• Show them success stories of other elderly people using telemedicine for their care.
• Let them know about digital tools, such as medical apps and websites, that are designed to make getting healthcare easier and more convenient than ever before.
• Assure them that their data will be kept private and secure when using these services.

What kind of tools are needed to help elderly patients with their first virtual visit?

To help an elderly patient with their first virtual visit, you’ll need the following tools:

• A secure, private internet connection
• A computer or mobile device with a microphone and camera capabilities (most laptops, tablets and smartphones have these features)
• The latest version of video conferencing software (such as Skype, Facetime or Zoom)
• An audio headset or earbuds (optional but recommended to improve sound quality)

How can I convince an elderly patient on Medicaid to use a cash-based membership?

Convincing an elderly patient on Medicaid to use a cash-based membership may be difficult, but there are some clear benefits that could make it appealing. Here are some points you can bring up when talking to patients about this option:

• Explain the cost savings they can get from joining a cash-based membership.
• Let them know that they will receive quality care with personalized attention and access to cutting-edge healthcare options.
• Offer resources to help them understand the process of transitioning from traditional Medicaid plans to cash-based memberships.
• Remind them that cash-based memberships give them control over their healthcare decisions and greater autonomy in managing their own health.

Final thoughts

The rising costs of elderly care in America have made it increasingly difficult for caregivers to provide quality care on a budget. Telemedicine offers an affordable alternative, allowing seniors access to necessary medical services without breaking the bank.

It can be used for remote diagnosis and treatment of illness and injury, mental health counseling, medication management, and prescription refills, and monitoring of vital signs such as blood pressure or glucose levels remotely from homecare initiatives.

Elderly patients are just as likely to accept telemedicine services when given the option – making these valuable healthcare options even more accessible than before.

Book an appointment with our Palliative care specialist – Dr. Charlene Shaw, MD today to explore how we can help you manage your chronic illness affordably and conveniently from the comfort of your own home.