How to Set Up Telehealth for Elderly Parents: The Complete Walkthrough

Your parent's doctor says "we can do this over video." Your parent looks at you. You look at their dusty tablet. And you both know that the next three hours of your life are about to disappear into a setup process that should take fifteen minutes.

Setting up telehealth for an elderly parent isn't technically hard. But it's the kind of "not hard" that involves twelve small steps, each of which can go wrong in a way that a tech-savvy adult wouldn't predict. The Wi-Fi reaches the living room but not the bedroom. The portal app requires an email address your parent doesn't have. The camera works but the microphone doesn't pick up their voice from across the table.

This guide walks through the entire setup process in the order things actually need to happen — from infrastructure to the first test call — so you can get it done in one visit and not have to redo it next month.

Step 1: Test the Internet Connection

Before touching any device, verify that your parent's internet can actually handle a video call. Telehealth video requires at minimum 1.5 Mbps upload and download speed. That's a low bar, but many seniors have old routers, weak signals in certain rooms, or data-capped plans that throttle during peak hours.

How to test: - On any device connected to their Wi-Fi, go to speedtest.net and run a test - Run it from the room where they'll actually take the video call (not next to the router) - Run it at the time of day their appointments usually happen (speeds can vary)

If the speed is too low: - Move the router closer to the room they'll use, or add a Wi-Fi extender ($20-$40 at any electronics store) - If they're on DSL or a very old cable plan, consider upgrading — many areas now offer affordable plans through the FCC's Affordable Connectivity Program or Lifeline program for low-income households - As a backup, a smartphone with a decent cellular signal can serve as a personal hotspot if the Wi-Fi fails on appointment day

Step 2: Choose the Right Room

This sounds trivial but it matters enormously for video visit quality. The doctor needs to see your parent clearly, hear them without straining, and — in some cases — observe physical symptoms like skin color, swelling, or range of motion.

The ideal room has: - A window or lamp that lights your parent's face from the front (not from behind — backlighting creates a silhouette the doctor can't see through) - A quiet background without a TV, radio, or noisy appliances - A chair where your parent can sit comfortably for 20-30 minutes without fidgeting or pain - A stable surface (desk or table) for the tablet or laptop — not a lap, not a bed, not a couch cushion

Set up a "station." If possible, create a dedicated spot where the device, charger, stand, and any accessories (headphones, stylus, medication list) stay permanently. Think of it as a "telehealth station" — when appointment time comes, your parent goes to their station, sits down, and everything is ready. No hunting for the tablet, no finding a charger, no repositioning lights.

Step 3: Set Up the Device

Whether it's an iPad, Android tablet, or laptop, the goal is the same: make the device as simple as possible so your parent only sees what they need.

On an iPad: - Remove all apps from the home screen except: the telehealth app (MyChart, Zoom, or the provider's platform), FaceTime, Phone, and Camera - Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and increase text size - Enable "Guided Access" (Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access) — this locks the device to a single app so your parent can't accidentally navigate away mid-visit - Turn off all notifications except calls (Settings > Notifications)

On an Android tablet: - Enable Easy Mode if available (Samsung: Settings > Display > Easy Mode) - Remove widgets and reduce home screen to essential apps only - Go to Settings > Accessibility > Font size and increase to the maximum comfortable size - Disable all notifications except the telehealth app and phone

On a laptop: - Create a browser bookmark or desktop shortcut directly to the video visit link - Set the browser to open in full-screen mode by default - Increase the system font size and zoom level (typically 125-150%) - Disable Windows/macOS notification banners during appointments

Step 4: Create the Portal Account

Most telehealth visits happen through a patient portal like MyChart, Patient Access, or a provider-specific app. Your parent needs an account, and that account needs an email address.

If your parent doesn't have an email address: - Create one specifically for medical use — something like [email protected] - Write the email and password on a card and tape it to the back of the device (yes, this is low-tech security, but for a senior who will otherwise forget, it's better than locking them out of their healthcare) - Set the email to forward to your address so you see appointment reminders too

Creating the portal account: - Go to the provider's MyChart (or equivalent) website and look for "Sign Up" or "Create Account" - You'll typically need: the patient's date of birth, medical record number or last 4 of SSN, and the email address you just set up - The portal will send a verification email — this is where having the email forward to you helps, because your parent won't know to look for it - Set up two-factor authentication using their phone number (so the code goes to a device they actually have)

Critical step: After creating the account, set up proxy access for yourself. This lets you log into the portal with your own credentials and manage your parent's records, appointments, and messages. Don't skip this — it's the single most useful thing you can do for remote caregiving.

Step 5: Test the Camera and Microphone

Before the first real appointment, do a test video call. FaceTime yourself, or use Zoom's "test meeting" feature (zoom.us/test). Check these things:

  • Can you see your parent clearly? They should be well-lit, centered in the frame, and close enough that the doctor could see a skin rash or swollen ankle if needed.
  • Can you hear them? Ask them to speak at their normal conversational volume. If you can't hear them clearly, the microphone pickup is too weak — they'll need to sit closer to the device, or you'll need an external microphone.
  • Can they hear you? Play a video or have someone call. If the volume isn't loud enough at maximum, you need external speakers or headphones.

The audio check is the most important test. The number one cause of failed telehealth visits is audio — the patient can't hear the doctor, the doctor can't hear the patient, or both. Fix this before the first real appointment, not during it.

Step 6: Deal With Hearing Aids

If your parent wears hearing aids, you have two options for telehealth audio:

Option A: Bluetooth hearing aids. Modern hearing aids (Phonak, Oticon, ReSound, Starkey) can pair directly with tablets and smartphones. When paired, the doctor's voice goes straight to the hearing aid. This is the best experience, but pairing can be finicky — do it ahead of time, and write down the steps for re-pairing if the connection drops.

Option B: Speaker mode with hearing aids on. If the hearing aids aren't Bluetooth-compatible, use an external speaker placed close to your parent, and make sure the speaker's audio frequency range emphasizes midrange tones (where speech lives). Many hearing aids are tuned for in-person conversation, not electronic audio, so there may be some adjustment needed.

Step 7: Do a Dry Run

Before the first real appointment, schedule a "practice visit" — either with the provider's test system (many offer this) or simply by having a family member video-call your parent at the scheduled time.

Walk through the entire process: 1. Parent goes to their station 2. Parent picks up the device and opens the app 3. Parent joins the call (clicks the link or opens the meeting) 4. Parent speaks, listens, and adjusts volume if needed 5. Parent ends the call

Time it. Note where they hesitate, where they get confused, and what questions they ask. Then simplify those steps. If they can't remember which button to press, put a sticky note on the device. If they can't find the app, move it to the center of the home screen with nothing else around it.

Step 8: Create the Pre-Visit Checklist

After the dry run, write a printed checklist — large font, numbered steps — that your parent can follow independently on appointment day. Tape it to the wall next to their station or laminate it and keep it with the device.

A basic checklist looks like:

  1. Sit at your station. Plug in the charger.
  2. Turn on the tablet (hold the button on top for 3 seconds).
  3. Tap the green button that says "MyChart" (or whatever the app is called).
  4. Tap "Visits" then tap your appointment.
  5. Tap "Join Video Visit" (it will appear 15 minutes before your appointment time).
  6. Wait for the doctor. You might see a "waiting room" screen — that's normal.

Keep it to 6-8 steps maximum. Anything more complex needs to be simplified at the device level, not with more instructions.

When You Can't Be There in Person

If you don't live nearby, you'll need to set up the initial system during a visit — a weekend trip, a holiday stay, or coordinated with a local friend or sibling. After the initial setup, the day-to-day management can happen remotely if you've done the groundwork:

  • Proxy access lets you manage the portal from anywhere
  • Remote screen control (like TeamViewer or Apple's Screen Sharing) lets you troubleshoot device issues from your couch
  • The printed checklist means your parent can handle the appointment process without you on the phone

The Telehealth Parent Guide covers every step in this article in printable, large-print format — plus the remote control setup, audio troubleshooting flowcharts, and conversation scripts for getting buy-in from resistant parents. It's designed for the adult child who needs to set this up once and have it keep working.