In the August 2nd Health Affairs blog post titled “Another Social Determinant Of Health: How Philanthropy Can Help Rural Communities Use Technology To Improve Mobility And Health“, author John Feather describes the challenges faced by elders living in rural communities in accessing medical care and describes an array of solutions that philanthropists, foundations and other funders can support to improve the health outcomes of these isolated elders.
Among the many new and technologically advanced options, the experts agree that human contact remains vital and funders should consider complementary programs like JFS Patient Navigator that recruits volunteers to accompany patients to their medical appointments and uses specialized software that facilitates assignment and data tracking. These volunteers encourage patient empowerment and reduce social isolation while also helping to keep the cost of services down.
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