95-year-old Patient Touts the Benefits of Virtual Care

At 95 years old, Anna Gardner has seen many changes in her lifetime. That includes changes in health care and how it’s delivered. Anna remembers the days when doctors and nurses came to the home for house visits. 

“The doctor came to the house, and everyone had to jump around and get things ready,” recalls Anna. “When a baby was delivered, my mother would move a bed from upstairs into the front room, now called the living room. The nurse would come with the doctor to deliver the baby. She would have a big bag, and all the kids thought the baby was in that big bag!”

So much has changed in health care in Anna’s lifetime, but some of our newest technologies feel familiar. After a recent virtual care visit, Anna found herself comparing it to a house visit.

“That was so neat. I saw the doctor and he saw me. We talked about my condition, and he told me what I was supposed to know,” said Anna. “It’s not hard to talk to a doctor on the computer. The doctor was very nice, just like in the office. It was almost like being in the office.”

These days, Anna has a difficult time going out and needs assistance to go to doctor’s visits. She began using virtual visits in the winter, and recommends it for others as well.

“I would suggest it for elderly people because it means so much to us not to have to get up and scramble around, especially in the winter. It’s easier to stay in and keep away from germs,” Anna says. “Now I can talk to a doctor in the warmth of my own kitchen.”

Another benefit – you can be as comfortable as you can be, especially when you don’t feel well.

“You can even be in your night clothes,” Anna says, laughing. “These days, night clothes look like street clothes, anyway.”