Nutrition Telemedicine Program for Older Adults

Subject: Healthy Nutrition
Pages: 2
Words: 334
Reading time:
2 min

Proper eating is known to play a significant role in the wellbeing of any person, and dieting is vital for a healthy lifestyle. This is especially important for older adults who have diabetes, as the quality of their life depends on what they eat. Telemedicine can offer a solution to that problem by educating people in the risk group and providing them with services from a distance. The National Institutes for Health started a telemedicine program that will give virtual nutrition counseling and meal delivery to diabetes patients.

The program in question is designed to assist diabetes patients after they receive the diagnosis. The participants are provided with meals that are delivered to their homes and counseling that is aimed at educating the patients about healthy nutrition. The program cooperates with a local non-profit organization to arrange deliveries of food. The main advantage of the program is that it offers its participants, who are not able to manage the preparation of proper meals themselves due to their physical condition, the needed assistance.

It also provides patients with valuable information that helps them develop a healthier approach to dieting in the future. The main disadvantage of the program is that it is small scale and includes only two hundred participants. The program recruits patients during their hospitalization, and, thus, it is not available to everyone who might need the assistance it provides. Older adults may find this program and telemedicine useful because it allows using modern technology to connect with medical experts from a distance.

An appropriate diet is a central component of a healthy life, and it is essential for the effective treatment of debits. The National Institutes for Health runs a small-scale telemedicine project that assists diabetes patients with nutrition counseling and meal deliveries. Older adults can benefit from such telemedicine programs, as they give them access to proper nutrition when their physical ability to cook is limited because of their health condition.