University Students Provide Digital Devices to Older Adults Through Telemedicine Nonprofit

University of Virginia (UVA) students are distributing second-hand devices to older adults to help prevent unnecessary coronavirus exposure as part of the TeleHealth Access for Seniors program, reports the Cavalier Daily . Founded by four students this past March, the program enlists volunteers to collect devices family, friends, businesses, and schools no longer use and donate them to local hospitals and clinics. Rising third-year college students Rachana Subbanna, Anika Iyer, and Tanvi Nallanagula joined the Virginia team last month. "Our three main goals are prevention, connection, and education," Iyer said. "We want to prevent complications from chronic conditions or exposure to COVID-19 by enabling senior citizens to access devices and telehealth resources. We also want to help seniors connect with family and friends virtually as they practice social distancing, as well as offer educational tools as they learn to use their devices." The UVA team partnered with the Charlottesville Free Clinic and, after three weeks of seeking donations, delivered some 25 devices to underinsured and uninsured seniors in the Charlottesville community. "The pandemic is not going away anytime soon," Iyer said. "So we will just keep expanding and recruiting more volunteers in more states, because even a little bit of work — preventing a now potentially life-threatening trip to the doctor's office — can make a difference in the lives of older Americans suffering from chronic conditions."