Creating a Telehealth Network For Seniors to Age in Place

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Nov. 3, 2014 - PRLog -- Inglewood, CA – Chronic conditions affect roughly 133 million Americans today and account for more than 70% of the total U.S. expenditure on healthcare.  By 2020, that number will rise to 157 million.  A number of trends, such as an aging population, an increasing number of people with chronic conditions, rising healthcare costs, and a desire to age in place, are creating a major impetus to delivering more care at home.

Manchester Community Technologies, Inc., is expanding its Virtual Community Wellness (VCW) project to help bring the benefits of Telehealth technologies to senior citizens in underserved communities.  Telehealth allows anyone with broadband connectivity, to not only engage in their own personal wellness, but also allows healthcare professionals the ability to talk with patients face-to-face via a secure encrypted teleconference session.  VCW’s goal is to help more senior citizens with chronic illnesses remain in their home longer, thus delaying or eliminating the need for family members to seek an already overburdened and understaffed senior care or assisted living facility.

Personal health system technology is poised to play an important role in addressing many of the issues that will be facing healthcare in the coming years.  It can aid clinicians and caregivers in monitoring patients with a single chronic condition or various comorbidities and ensure smooth communication of appropriate information on a timely basis among all the people involved in a patient's care.  Managing the health of people with chronic conditions is therefore a clear clinical, financial, and human imperative.  In most cases, homecare for patients with chronic illness is preferable to institutional care because it provides autonomy and comfort to patients and keeps medical costs down.

To help increase its service delivery and expand the footprint of the Virtual Community Wellness Project, MCT has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign.  With a focus on maintaining personal wellness, the organization hopes to educate a rapidly increasing baby-boomer population on the benefits of Telehealth while providing services to those who can least afford to partake is its many advantages.

To learn more about the Virtual Community Wellness Project, please visit its website at http://virtualcommunitywellness.comand share this wonderful endeavor with your friends (igg.me/at/vcw).