More and more seniors are turning to Telehealth programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “When you’re not feeling well, having to get up, get dressed and drive all the way to the hospital and then get in line and then possibly get sick from someone else is not all that appealing,” Marla Jo Fisher, a writer, told AARP Bulletin (November 2020, page 44). Medicare is expanding coverage of telehealth visits during the pandemic, changes which hopefully will remain in place. The Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that less than 1% of primary care visits in February were via Telehealth, a number which jumped to 43.5% in April. California has a bill going into effect on January 1 requiring all insurers to pay for Telehealth visits. If your doctor isn’t using Telehealth, talk to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, on suggestions.
Seniors Need To Be Educated On Antibiotics : By Derek Baine
There is a critical need to educate seniors on the use of antibiotics, according to a study published by University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging, sponsored by AARP. Researchers found that almost 13% of those with antibiotic prescriptions stopped taking the drug before running out of the medication, while 34% wrongly believe antibiotics can be used to treat a cold or the flu. More than half of those who reported having leftover antibiotics used to treat an earlier ailment took the old drugs. (AARP Bulletin May 21, P6).