On May 8th, at the Westchester County Center, there will be a Biz Expo for Seniors and Caregivers, hosted by Westchester County departments of: Senior Programs and Services; Parks, Recreation, and Conservation; and Public Works and Transportation. The co-sponsors of the event is the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services.
This Health and Wellness fair is to celebrate the launch of the Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors (TIPS). At the event, there will be interactive exhibits for attendees; you can have you vital signs checked and entered into a computer for immediate results and a ‘TIPS Sheet’ that will explain the findings.
The event will also supply information on the other programs offered by the Department of Senior Programs and Services, such as Caregiver Coaching, Care Circles of Westchester, and the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program. Social workers will also be present to offer the details about other benefits out there and whether or not you could be entitled to receive.
Vital Care Services, a healthcare management solution that is big on telehealth, has been introducing TIPS around Westchester. Seidenberg’s Dr. David Sachs is also Vital Care’s project manager for TIPS. Vital Care describes TIPS as “a group of adults, who live in congregate or community dwelling arrangements, who have their vital signs checked two to three times each week. At each location, two telehealth technicians support kiosks that contain health care equipment that enables up to 50 individuals to check their weight, blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen levels, as well as permitting the individuals to answer other questions about their health and health benefits. All information is transmitted wirelessly using Bluetooth to an Android Tablet. That tablet transmits the information to HIPAA compliant servers where telehealth nurses analyze it and provide feedback to the patients and/or their primary care physicians. Participants at each telehealth location receive full needs assessments, benefits information and counseling, care planning and educational services to support health improvements.”
The program has had a successful impact in Westchester so far, and everyone involved is looking to expanding to improve the lives of the growing community of seniors and to make up for a lack in clinical resources.
