According to research done by Kaiser Family Foundation in 2005, less than one-third of the elderly population (65 years or older) have ever gone online.
It is no surprise that the Internet can be a wealth of wonderful information. Americans can obtain reliable health care information quickly with the touch of a mouse. If you are diagnosed with a health condition, there are ways you can become more active in your health care decisions. Through use of the Internet, one can find descriptions of the illnesses, treatment options, health care providers and support from others with a similar illness. The elderly, who are at the highest risk for worsening health conditions, would most benefit from such information.
Policymakers have worked hard on getting the health care information readily available through the usage of the Internet. With the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003, Medicare encourages its enrollees to utilize the Internet to compare the different health care and prescription plans, learn about premiums and co-insurance rates, and enroll in such programs. How effective can it be with less than one-third of the population having the ability to access it?
Being a social worker at a nursing and rehabilitation center, I work with the elderly population on a regular basis. Many elders report they were unaware of Medicare requirements, treatment options, or the usage of community-based services they may qualify for. I fear with the advances of technology, society has forgotten or overlooked those who do not have the essential knowledge or the resources to obtain a computer to access the Internet.
So is an Internet referral an appropriate referral for an elderly person? I would strongly answer no. Access to services and health care information is essential to an elder’s ability to live independently. I am a huge advocate for the aging population to remain in their home and feel our community must provide the most accurate and appropriate information to the elderly. Each community must ensure the access to this information through holding information centers at local senior centers, local hospitals, or long term care facilities.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Jamie L. Sanford
Quelle/Source: The Herald Nesws, 08.03.2010
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