New Project to Bring Telehealth to Affordable Housing Facilities

A new program in California aims to equip seniors in affordable housing communities with the telehealth services they need to manage their health and wellness.

The University of California is partnering with CITRIS (the Center for Technology Research in the Interest of Society) on the Lighthouse for Older Adults initiative, which will begin by equipping two complexes in northern and southern California with connected health services, including digital literacy training. The pilot program will serve more than 300 seniors.

“Telehealth and other technology-enabled innovations provide a safe, efficient, and effective way for older adults to access care while social distancing,” David Lindeman, CITRIS’ health director and the Lighthouse project’s lead, said in a press release. “Our ultimate goal is to reach as many underserved seniors as possible with telehealth, technology, internet access and digital skills. We know that providing pathways to connectivity is essential to support and empower vulnerable older adults during the pandemic and beyond.”

“Older adults in affordable housing communities are one of the most underserved populations affected by COVID-19,” he added. “They are especially vulnerable due to limited access to information, connection, and health care services. The isolation caused by social distancing further exacerbates this challenge.”

Aside from UC and CITRIS, the $3.4 million project includes participation from CDW Healthcare, Decimal.health, the Healthy Aging in a Digital World initiative at UC Davis Health and the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP), part of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. The project will begin with complexes operated by Front Porch and Eskaton, non-profit senior living providers who manage some 38 affordable housing communities, with plans to expand to four more communities before developing a strategy for scalability.

The program will include broadband connectivity for Internet access, hardware and software, telemedicine technology and community-based peer-to-peer digital literacy training.

“Residents of age-qualified affordable housing communities often not only lack broadband connectivity and technology, but also often lack access to high-quality healthcare options,” Thomas Nesbitt, one of the researchers behind the Healthy Aging in a Digital World initiative, said in the press release. “Most older adults have one or more chronic diseases which require more integrated, continuous disease management. Technology-enabled models of care can play a significant role in addressing this need. Our vision for Lighthouse is one that promotes older adult independence, increased social connections with family, caregivers and friends, and improved health and well-being that we hope will be held up as a model for other communities to replicate.”