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“So, it’s really important for the federal government to follow the trend on where
telehealth is going and the need to reimagine elder care services in a way that employs
telehealth systems to help patients at home,” he said. “We’re finding that telehealth is
vital for reducing exposure in a time of crisis like this.”
Beyond medical services, video technology is providing much-needed mental and
social services during a time when so many have been isolated from their loved ones,
Noyes said.
Noyes said they have received a grant to work with
a home care agency called Selfhelp Community
Services in New York City to build an online senior
center with interactive, video-based live classes
for home care providers to offer their patients
statewide. It will provide older adults a chance
to interact with each other while learning about
a variety of topics such as music, history and the
arts through partnerships with institutions such as
museums.
“Everyone who is experiencing this crisis knows that social Isolation is a way of life right
now for all of us to some degree, and we also know technology has become a major
bridge for that type of connectivity we yearn for in this moment of crisis,” Noyes said.
Russell Lusak, Selfhelp’s chief operating officer, said the virtual senior center
provided social interaction for older adults during a time of extreme social isolation
and depression.
Roger Noyes, director of communications for
“That connection to other people is so important,” he said. “It’s a great option for people
that otherwise wouldn’t have the ability to go to a senior center. It’s such an incredible
thing to see.”
the Home Care Association of New York State,
said the “pandemic has really required all
sectors of health care to rethink everything.”
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