Cantissimo Senior Living Blog

What is Telehealth

Telehealth, the delivery of healthcare services virtually, is an increasingly popular practice that many people are looking at to replace typical in-person delivery. Telehealth can include video conference medical appointments, health apps, and remote patient monitoring. Throughout the last year, people have been forced to schedule telehealth medical appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As many have experienced, this can be a viable option for many, especially seniors, looking forward.

Telemedicine

People often confuse telehealth and telemedicine, but they are two different things. While telehealth is a virtual communication mode between doctors and patients, telemedicine uses technology to deliver care to patients virtually. Therefore, telemedicine is less broad than telehealth because it only refers to remote clinical services.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be challenging to find ways to buy food while staying safe and healthy. Today, many food and meal delivery services can provide contactless delivery, ranging in variety and price. Read on to learn more about several different types of services and the advantages of each!

As people age and health declines, safety is a substantial concern for family members and loved ones. Increasing the use of technology can be a great solution to ensure the safety and independence of older adults. Today, there are many safety and security products available. Check out our list below to learn about ten options that may improve the lives of your family! 

Aging in place at home remains the most popular option for senior living. According to AARP, over 75% of age 50+ respondents to a 2018 survey said they would prefer to stay in their own homes. However, as we age, the risks of living at home increase, with the most common being the risk of falling. CDC data shows that 36 million older adults fall annually, resulting in 3 million emergency department visits and over 32,000 deaths.

To reduce falls and other accidents, a home needs to be modified to accommodate older adults' needs. These modifications range from low-cost and straightforward to expensive and complicated. However, any change that makes a home safer may enable the older resident to remain independent longer.

As we age, our health concerns often grow. It becomes increasingly important to stay on top of any physical or mental health concerns. And though no one can stave off illness and disease altogether, it can be easier to maintain wellness with preventive care and the assistance of technology. Read on for some ways technology can be an ally in your pursuit of good health.

In our recent blog, 5 Ideas to Safely Celebrate the Holidays During COVID-19, we mentioned that playing games on a Zoom call is a fun way to safely stay in contact and have fun with family and friends. While there are endless games that can be played over Zoom, here is a list of ten games and instructions on how to play each game:

     1. Charades

To begin playing charades over Zoom, split the participants into two teams. Each player can write down ten phrases on pieces of paper (person, place, thing, movie, book, TV show, etc.), fold up the papers, and put them in a bowl. When a player's turn is up, they can choose a phrase and act it out on camera for their team members to guess within a time limit. If their team correctly guesses the phrase, their team earns a point, but if they cannot guess the phrase in time, the other team gets the point. At the end, the team accumulating the most points wins!

     2. Pictionary

Like charades, split the Zoom participants into two groups and have each player prepare ten phrases on pieces of paper, fold them, put them into a bowl, and mix them up.

There's nothing better than sitting back and listening to your favorite music. Even the most mundane tasks become fun with the right playlist playing through your headphones or speakers. Nowadays, there are many ways to enjoy your favorite songs (and find new ones). The best listening option, in many ways, is streaming music. With music streaming services, you can search for songs, create playlists, and find new music based on your musical tastes. With premium accounts, you can stream music anywhere, any time, even when you're not connected to the internet. There may be many streaming options out there, but not all of them are worth the effort of making an account.

Listed below are six music streaming services you'll be glad you tried:

If you're over the age of 50, single, and ready to mingle, get ready to meet your soulmate! The old ways of finding love are out the window. While the traditional way to meet singles was to go out to social events, speed dating, or mixers, modern dating has transitioned to the internet. Especially during pandemics like COVID-19, it can be challenging to safely go out and meet new people. Nowadays, singles find love by browsing the millions of people using dating websites available worldwide.

However, this presents a challenge to seniors. Many dating online dating services can be gimmicky and designed to appeal to students and much younger individuals. Fortunately, several dating websites have realized this issue and provided a solution - excellent dating websites that connect singles over 50:

Free Websites

We understand that spending your hard-earned money on a dating website can be quite daunting. Some people just don't feel comfortable with it! That's completely fine because we've got you covered. Find your true love without spending a dime. Below we've listed the best free dating sites that are geared towards seniors.

A study by the Pew Research Center found that technology use among Americans 65 and over has grown in recent years:

• Smartphone ownership climbed from 18% in 2013 to 42% in 2017.
• Internet usage with broadband technology rose from 14% in 2000 to over 65% in 2017
• Tablets were owned by 18% in 2013, but this increased to 32% in 2017

The same study asked for reaction to the statement, "When I get a new electronic device, I usually need someone else to set it up or show me how to use it." Of the total respondents:

• 48% said the statement described them "Very Well,"
• 25% said it described them "Somewhat Well."

Those responses would be no surprise to younger, more tech-savvy family members. It's common today for older adults to call upon the under 65 generations to help troubleshoot "computer" problems. Older adults often were introduced to computers, smartphones, and other devices later in life. Lacking lifelong experience with such technology, some seniors find these innovations baffling.

With the onslaught of COVID-19, the situation for technology-challenged seniors worsened for two reasons. First, demand skyrocketed for high-tech products and services. Most senior living facilities severely curtailed visitors to protect their vulnerable populations. As a result, many seniors turned to technology to stay in touch with family and friends, shop, find entertainment, or keep up with current events.

Second, the ability of relatives or friends to provide in-person technical support evaporated due to visiting restrictions. Facility staff members rarely can help since they must prioritize essential direct care work and are not trained to troubleshoot technical problems. As a result, older users of technology become frustrated by even the most fundamental glitches.

One option for coping with this dilemma may be to enlist the help of an information technology (IT) support company. These range from large organizations like Best Buy's Geek Squad to smaller, local companies. One such company is Premier IT, headquartered in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Premier IT offers information technology support services to businesses and individuals. In a conversation with Premier IT President Alan Altepeter, he described how an IT support company can help senior technology users.

Whether you live with your grandchildren or are visiting via Zoom or other virtual meeting tools, there are many fun and engaging things that can be done with your grandchildren. These activities can be teaching experiences in many ways. Even the youngest grandchild will do well listening to your voice as you tell stories or read to them. To help get you started, here are some of my favorite activities to do with grandchildren, even if we are not in the same room: