Telehealth Solutions for Seniors

You don’t have to be tech-savvy to benefit from telehealth services available across Australia. Sometimes, a phone is all that's needed to access top-quality virtual care. Some providers also specifically cater to our aging demographic with online access to wound, UTI, and dementia care as well as lifestyle solutions, offering solutions for hair loss, weight gain, menopause, and more. Perhaps most importantly, these providers often offer 24/7 care or extended hours and access to scripts and medication delivery.

Telehealth has a range of clear benefits, providing greater access and flexibility around healthcare consultations. Where you may have previously put off heading to the doctor due to mobility issues, limited by your carer’s availability to accompany you, or been restricted by a busy clinic’s home care availability, telehealth frees you up, providing more timely help. Also, there’s no need to organise transport to the doctor, and improved coverage of rural and remote areas.

Telehealth can also help improve the continuity of care and assist in managing more complex health problems typical in geriatric care in a cohesive and timely manner [1]. A specialised telehealth provider can coordinate with your primary care team and provide the missing link to monitor and consult more frequently and continuously. This may make the difference in preventing escalation and making it easier for you to flag any problems with the treatment, too.

Aged care often comes with more complex health care needs, for example, managing multiple medications and suffering more frequent and severe falls, which makes having a doctor just a short wait and a phone call away (even after hours) invaluable.

Telehealth also potentially helps enhance the existing care you receive by allowing remote monitoring of vital signs and conditions, and giving you access to a greater range of specialist care, such as medication reviews or specialist consultations. This can be helpful in both a home and an aged care setting, as it brings greater clinical expertise directly to the comfort of your living space.

This may be particularly important for mental health support. Accessing counselling, dementia care, and other therapy services may seem far-fetched when it requires regular travel to and from a service provider, as well as joining a waitlist before services can be accessed.

Using telehealth solutions can also reduce your costs by reducing the need for transportation and travel assistance.

Finally, but not least importantly, you are less at risk of secondary infections from viruses in a clinical setting. This includes keeping you safer from viruses like COVID-19.

If you find the prospect of choosing a telehealth provider daunting, MediCompare offers simple comparison tools and full in-depth reviews of each provider. You could also ask a carer or family member to help you take the initial step and show you how to book and follow through on your doctor's consult.

Some telehealth services have existing relationships with aged care facilities or specialist geriatric doctors and may specialise in a senior-sensitive approach.

If you are looking to have a telehealth consultation with an online GP first, or need a GP referral to access specialist care, a general telehealth provider that also provides some senior-specific services is your first point of call.

Specialist doctors can then do a complete assessment of your needs, develop a management plan, and coordinate with your primary care team, including your GP.

These providers offer after-hours service and access to GPs, referrals, scripts, and more. Eligible patients may be able to get access to bulk-billing or rebates. You can also search for top bulk-billed telehealth services on MediCompare.

1. TeleDoc Australia: After-hours and weekend access to experienced doctors, including urgent care for aged care residents.
2. 13SICK: Fully bulk billed after-hours-only telehealth and home doctor solution, which may also be able to provide in-person assessments (depending on location and availability).
3. 24-7Medcare: Comprehensive round-the-clock GP and psychology telehealth service.

1. Geriatric Care Australia: A popular, fully bulk-billed GP and geriatrician telehealth service. It offers digital health programs, remote patient monitoring, and AI-driven insights. Unfortunately, their GPs currently don’t accept any new patients.
2. Access Telehealth: Brings specialist telehealth care to aged care facilities and individual patients with short wait lists.
3. My Emergency Doctor offers specialized telehealth geriatrician services with a short one- to two-week waitlist. The initial appointment requires a GP referral, and the current out-of-pocket cost is $160.10.

It’s easiest to set up telehealth assistance by using your existing primary care team, including your GP and/ or aged care centre.  The first step should be to speak to your existing healthcare provider. Your GP or other healthcare providers may offer access to telehealth, which can also be fully bulk billed and facilitate easier access and closer coordination with your carers and any specialist services you use.

If you are staying in a live-in aged care facility, ask their team for assistance. Most residential aged care facilities offer support with or access to telehealth providers. They may also have special monitors to help with assessments or may be able to help you connect with your providers.

This information is independently researched and fact-checked. It does not represent medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Please always consult your primary care physician for medical advice.

[1] https://ageingaustralia.asn.au/extlink/innovageing/14-1774_AgedCareLong_v13-Web_HR.pdf