Transcript Senior Moments: Health Information for Older Adults

SENIOR MOMENTS:
HEALTH INFORMATION FOR
OLDER ADULTS
Karen Vargas, Consumer Health Coordinator
National Network of Libraries of Medicine,
South Central Region
http://nnlm.gov/scr twitter.com/nnlmscr facebook.com/nnlmscr
Agenda

Aging in America

Mental Health

Specific Conditions

Medications

Talking to Doctors

Other Useful Resources
Aging in America –
The country is getting older
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The number of people age 65 and older is
expected to grow from 39 million in 2008 to 72
million in 2030 (CDC)
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The first boomers reached 65 this year! (2011)

Life expectancy in the US is 78 years of age
(CDC National Vital Statistics Reports)
We have lots to look forward to:

Vision and hearing changes
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Cognitive changes

Additional Disabilities
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults
http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/olderadults/literacy.htm
What’s the Up-Side?
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Can all this distractibility make you wiser?
“Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain,” Sara
Reistad-Long, The New York Times, May 20, 2008

“Cognitive Aging & Increased Distractibility: Costs and
Potential Benefits,” Healey, Campbell, and Hasher. Progress
in Brain Research: Essence of Memory, v. 169
Today’s Older Adults’ Literacy
2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy and
Partnership for Clear Health Communication
http://www.npsf.org/pchc/health-literacy.php
Today’s Older Adults & the Internet
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Demographics of Internet Users, May 2011

Pew Internet and American Life Project
http://pewinternet.org
Is the information Senior Friendly?
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Font size
Glare-free background color/paper
Clear organization
“White” space
Jargon-free, definitions of medical terms included
Information in short segments
Meaningful images
Web Usability

Click HERE to Win!!!!!
Additional Features for the Web
 Mouse-free
controls
 No flashing images or distractions
 High contrast
 No “watermarks”
 Step-by-step navigation
 Read-out-loud features
 Highlighted text (hyperlinks) in dark color (other than
blue)
NIHSeniorHealth
 http://nihseniorhealth.gov
 Health
information for older adults
 Partnership of National Institute on
Aging and National Library of Medicine
 Information comes from
National Institutes of Health
 Senior-friendly features (large text, sound,
contrast)
 Information in bite-sized pieces
National Institute on Aging
 http://www.nia.nih.gov
 Big
print, easy to read, dark links
 Free publications
 Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral Center
(ADEAR)
 Database of more than 300
national organizations that
provide help to older adults.
MedlinePlus’ Senior Friendly features
 http://medlineplus.gov
 Links
to reliable, understandable
health websites
 Health Topics for Seniors
 Easy-to-read articles
 Slideshows that have sound and contrast
 Medical encyclopedia with large illustrations
 No Advertisements!
Mental Health
Memories…
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Right now, as many as 4.5 million Americans have
Alzheimer’s Disease
The number of people with AD doubles for every
5-year interval beyond age 65.
 [where

this comes from - CDC]
18% of seniors over 85 and older have reported
one or more cognitive disorders
 (AHRQ
News)
Alzheimer's Disease Education and
Referral (ADEAR) Center
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http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/
From the National Institute on Aging
Current, comprehensive, unbiased
Reviewed by NIA scientists and health
communicators
Call toll-free for answers to specific questions
National Institute of Neurological
Disorders and Stroke
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http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Detailed information on different aspects of
dementia
Additional neurological disorders affecting seniors,
like:
 Palsies
and Tremors
 Parkinson’s Disease
 Stroke
American Psychiatric Association
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HealthyMinds.org
http://www.healthyminds.org/
More-Info-For/Seniors.aspx
Free mental health brochures
Specific Condition
Causes of Death
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Heart Disease - #1 cause of death adults over age
65
Cancer - #2 cause of death adults over age 65
 Lung
cancer most prevalent
 Other prevalent: colorectal, prostate and breast (all
decreasing)
Heart Disease
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National Heart Lung and Blood Institute
 http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
 Information
 Coronary
on topics such as:
heart disease, Pneumonia, COPD
Cancer
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National Cancer Institute
 http://www.cancer.gov
 Physician
Data Queries (PDQs)
 Clinical Trials
 Patient/Health Professional and English/Spanish
National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
 Disease
and condition information
 Awareness and Prevention
 Image Library
 Promotional Campaigns
 Curricula
Medications
Managing Medication
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NIHSeniorHealth: Taking Medicines
http://nihseniorhealth.gov/takingmedicines/toc.html
MLA Senior Seminars: Power Points and handouts for
training
http://www.mlanet.org/resources/consumr_index.ht
ml#senior
Medicare Part D
If 58% of adults over 65 are
NOT using the Internet, how are they choosing
among the 70-plus discount drug care programs
online through the Medicare Web site?
How can you help with Medicare?
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http://www.medicare.gov
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Area Agencies on Aging http://www.n4a.org/
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Medicare Training Program
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalMedicareTraining
Program/
Drug Use and Substance Abuse
Drug Treatment
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA)
 Find
a drug treatment program
http://www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov/
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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
 http://www.nida.nih.gov/
Talking to Doctors
Serbia photo by HelpAge International on Flickr.com
Talking to Doctors:
The New World Order
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Before 1972, doctors told patients what they
wanted patients to know, and what they wanted
patients to do.
1972 – AHA The Patient’s Bill of Rights
 “The
patient has the right and is encouraged to obtain
from physicians and other direct caregivers relevant,
current, and understandable information about his or
her diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.”
Your health depends on the
questions you ask
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Questions are the Answer
http://www.ahrq.gov/questionsaretheanswer/
 Build
your own personalized list of questions, including:
 When
will I get the results?
 How do you spell the name of that drug?
 Can I stop taking my medicine if I feel better?
Other Useful Resources
DHHS HealthCare.gov
USA.gov Senior Citizens’ Resources

http://www.usa.gov/Topics/Seniors.shtml
 Resources
for Caregivers
 End of Life Issues
 Health for Seniors
 Federal and State Agencies for Seniors
CDC Healthy Aging
 http://cdc.gov/aging/
 Health
Topics
 Data and Statistics
 Reports
 Focus on Prevention
Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ)
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Stay Healthy at 50+ publications
Healthy Men
Explore Your Treatment Options
Questions are
the Answer
Healthcare 411
Podcasts
Area Agencies on Aging
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National Association of Area Agencies on Aging
 http://www.n4a.org/
 Eldercare
Locator
 Senior Housing Locator
 Find
your local AAA or Title VI Native American aging
program
American Library Association
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Guidelines for Library and Information Services to
Older Adults
 Community
assessment
 library's collections and services
 physical facilities
 Library partners for older adults
 Staff training
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http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/rusa/resource
s/guidelines/libraryservices.cfm
Questions?
Karen Vargas
[email protected]
800-338-7657
Developed by NN/LM SCR staff. This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the National
Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. HHSN276-2011-00007-C with the Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library.