Abstract
COVID-19 government regulations resulted in increased social isolation, risk of stress, depression, anxiety, cognitive decline, and re-hospitalization. Telehealth has been highlighted as a potential bridge for healthcare needs, especially in the COVID-19 context. In response to this need our group developed a multicultural, intergenerational, community-based psychosocial intervention. We trained more than 300 volunteers who were able to provide friendly phone support in more than 17 languages to more than 600 older adults across the Greater Montreal Area who could benefit from social connection and support to access community resources. The experience has been heartwarming and facilitating enriching life experiences for seniors, volunteers, and clinicians alike. Furthermore, some preliminary observations suggest that this intervention might have positive effects on the seniors’ mental health.
Highlights
Our story is relatable because, like the rest of the world, our community and clinic were unexpectedly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic
Other international groups responded to this crisis with initiatives such as the Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors (TIPS), a community-embedded program targeting low-income older adults, which provided weekly assessment of vital signs, subjective wellness, and wraparound aging services[5]
As frontline clinicians in mental health, we identified the urgent need for low-cost, scalable, and convenient intervention to mitigate the deleterious effects of fear, anxiety, and depression on our already vulnerable geriatric population
Summary
A team of clinicians and scientists developed and submitted the Telehealth Intervention Program protocol, which was approved by the Ethics Review Board. The aim was to assess whether a community-based phone service could prevent/mitigate the deleterious effects of fear, anxiety, and depression on our geriatric population
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