Rosa

The expansion of Telehealth in 2020 has meant patients like Rosa have been able to receive the care and treatment they need despite the difficulties of meeting in person.

Rosa had an acoustic neuroma (brain tumour) that was causing her to feel unbalanced, dizzy and lose her hearing.

When she had the tumour removed it caused her facial palsy and problems with her balance. She was referred to  Community Based Rehabilitation physiotherapy and speech pathology during Melbourne’s COVID-19 second wave.

Due to her age, the recent surgery and the distance the centre was from her home, Rosa felt vulnerable coming to the centre during the pandemic, so was able to complete her rehabilitation via Western Health’s Telehealth service at Community Based Rehabilitation.

With the help of Rosa’s daughter, Connie, the rehabilitation sessions were able to occur successfully and Rosa is able to speak and eat properly, as well as smile at her grandchildren.

Rosa also participated in balance retraining and assessment of her thinking and memory, none of which would have been possible without these Telehealth appointments. She would also have been at risk of never regaining movement in her face, slurring her speech, having falls and chronic dizziness.

This is just one example of the success of the Telehealth expansion in 2020.