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Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Senior Citizens Among Those Most Likely to Suffer
Low Health Literacy
Society for Women’s Health Research offers tips to
improve care
 October 30, 2006 - Medical information can be
confusing, especially for senior citizens, whose vision and hearing may
be in decline. But most people can recall having difficulty deciphering
health information at one time or another. Whether you have stopped
taking a prescription too soon because you didn’t understand the
instructions or whether poor vision prevents you from accurately reading
the label on the bottle, low health literacy can get in the way of good
health care.
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Senior Citizen Statistics
Just Three Percent of Senior Citizens have Proficient Health Literacy
Do not understand medical instructions, 29% lack basic literacy
September 12, 2006 - Senior citizens have much lower literacy skills
than younger Americans and it is identified as a particular problem when
in comes to understanding medical instructions, according to a recent
report by the National Center for Education Statistics on a study of
2003.
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Health & Medicine |
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Communication problems with health professionals
can negatively impact the outcome of medical care for some patients,
according to a report by the health literacy committee of the American
Medical Association. The report also revealed that inadequate health
literacy may increase the risk of hospitalization.
“Health literacy is about communicating health
information in ways patients and families can understand,” explains
Helen Osborne, M.Ed., president and founder of Health Literacy
Consulting, an organization that promotes effective health
communication.
An extra burden may fall on women. “Women are the
ones advocating for other members of the family, for parents, children,
friends or going to the internet to help someone find information,”
Osborne said.
“Women are very important conduits of health
information and need to understand the information because they may be
in the role of explaining it to someone else.”
And, too, many of the professional caregivers are
women, who need to be aware of the possible problem of their clients not
understanding their medical instructions.
Patients today are expected to play an active role
in their own medical care and treatment. Regardless of age, health
status, language barriers and literacy levels, patients have
responsibilities that extend beyond the visit to the doctor’s office.
Patients need to follow written instructions,
understand the benefits and risks of procedures and medications,
understand drug-drug interactions and formulate appropriate questions if
the material isn’t presented in a clear fashion. It’s a tall order for
most people. Unfortunately, many people run into difficulties.
Helen Osborne cites six main reasons for trouble
understanding medical information:
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Senior citizens (65+) scored far lower than
younger people in a 2003 literacy test. The test had a maximum
score of 500. |
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Age: older adults tend to have more problems
once the ability to hear and see declines.
Literacy: if people have trouble reading,
they will inevitably have problems with understanding health
information.
Disability: any disability that affects the
ability to read and communicate may have an impact.
Language: non-English speakers tend to run
into problems if the instructions are presented in English. Sometimes,
part of the information gets lost in translation.
Culture: different cultures may have
different understandings and expectations of health care.
Emotion: when a person is sick and
vulnerable, it can be difficult to fully understand health information.
But clear health communication is a vital part of a
patient’s capacity to understand and act upon health information.
Patients need to become full partners in their own health care.
Here are some tips for becoming an active member of
your own health care team:
1. Ask questions: even if it feels awkward
and don’t be embarrassed if you don’t understand something.
2. Describe symptoms: give a full
description of your symptoms: how often, how long, what it feels like,
etc.
3. Use Scales: especially for pain, such as
ranking the severity of pain from 1-10.
4. Keep personal health records: use a
notebook and record your list of medications and test results. Osborne
recommends having a zippered pouch in the notebook for all hospital
cards.
5. Enlist a family member or friend: to be
your advocate and go with you to your appointments.
6. Overcome communication barriers: bring
hearing aids, glasses, or translator if English isn’t your first
language. Let the health professional know if the type is too small on
any written material.
If you or someone you know needs basic health
literacy information, the Society for Women’s Health Research maintains
a Web site called “Her Healthy Life,” which features information for
women on diet, exercise and smoking in both English and Spanish.
Information can be downloaded at
http://www.herhealthylife.org/.
Brochures can also be requested by calling toll
free 1-877-332-2636 or by emailing
info@womenshealthresearch.org.
Sources
Report of the Council of Scientific Affairs: Adhoc Committee on Health
Literacy, American Medical Association. JAMA. 1999;281:552-557.
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