Audicus, a leading healthcare provider of direct-to-consumer hearing aids, announced the findings of a bespoke survey of more than 300 customers generating a snapshot of seniors’ unique experiences during the Coronavirus pandemic.
Audicus Founder and CEO Patrick Freuler explains, “with seniors being one of the most at-risk populations during this time, we wanted to understand how they are currently coping and how we can best support them.”
The Audicus survey reported multiple key learnings about seniors.
1) Seniors are currently utilizing telemedicine at more than 3x the normal rate. This number jumps to 6x if telehealth prescription services are included.
2) Seniors are mastering new forms of tele-communication during the Covid-19 Crisis. The number of seniors utilizing video calls to connect with family, friends, and colleagues has almost doubled, jumping from 15% to 25%. FaceTime, Facebook Messenger, and Zoom are the three leading platforms seniors are using to make video calls.
3) Due to Covid-19 unique challenges, hearing aids are more essential than ever for many seniors. When someone is wearing a facemask, sounds are muffled and you cannot lip-read. Similarly, speaking on the phone is tough for those with hearing loss, therefore hearing aids are essential to participate in the now essential virtual interactions.
4) Despite the challenging nature of the pandemic, Seniors are remaining proactive and positive – almost 75% of participants consider themselves happy in their current situation. Seniors are keeping morale high by taking up new hobbies, increasing their communications with those they live with, as well as friends and family virtually, and staying active within the home.
For more Covid-19 specific content and recommendations for seniors, go to the Audicus blog.