Adviser LeadingAge New York Summer 2015 July 2015 | Page 29

Health What

(Continued from page 27)

a trip to a different doctor. Everyone should be able to have the doctor with the
most experience looking at their symptoms and their bodies, especially as they
age. Improved treatments and medications may be cheaper, easier to use or
more effective than the older way of treating a disease. Specialists keep up on
the very latest in their fields and can provide seniors with the best care possible.
The best care possible should be every senior’s goal for their health needs.
However, if they lack the skills necessary to manage their medications,
communicate with their doctors and families or cannot make good health
choices because they have chosen “independence” over health and safety, they
will never be able to access that care. Two of the saddest facts we know is that
seniors naturally lose their health literacy skills over time, and having two or
more chronic illnesses can also lower health literacy skills. Continuing health
literacy training helps seniors to keep the skills they had and learn new ones.
So then the big question is, in terms of the Supportive Housing Initiative under
the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment, “is there proof that training
patients on health literacy skills really works?” Unfortunately, there has not
been a lot of research on this question, but the research that we do have is
impressive: 57-61 percent reduction in ER use, 39-56 percent fewer trips
to the doctors, increase medication
compliance rates by 25-62 percent,

Two of the saddest facts we know is that seniors naturally

increased exercise (33 percent),

lose their health literacy skills over time, and having two or

healthier eating (33 percent), and 87

more chronic illnesses can also lower health literacy skills.

percent shared what they learned
with friends and family (While all that
research comes from California’s health

Continuing health literacy training helps seniors to keep the
skills they had and learn new ones.

literacy initiative to Medicaid parents,
there are other states teaching health literacy skills: Florida teaches it primarily
as an ESL program and Minnesota which provides classes only for seniors.
New York State has the only program in the nation that teaches to all ages and
demographics through the organization I run. Besides the diabetes results,
we have had one senior who, at 87, is a regular attendee of health literacy
classes and has been able to come off his blood pressure medication because
he learned the skills to eat healthier, make his exercise routine more effective
and reduce his stress. Many other residents feel healthier, more educated and
report initiating discussions with their families about the end of life decisions.
Many of the senior housing providers use the health literacy classes not only
to teach their residents, but for outreach, family support or staff development.
Health Literacy skills are life-altering, life-extending and life-affirming. How are
your skills?
For more information contact: www.HealthLiteracyforAll.org

leadingageny.org 28