Healthy Aging at Your Library: Connecting Older Adults to Health Information

1. Healthy Aging at Your Library:Connecting Older Adults to Health Information Dana Abbey, MLSNational Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region This project has been funded in whole or in part with Federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, under cooperative agreement number UG4LM012344 with the University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library.

2. CHIS Competencies • Know the community (C1) • Knowledge of Subject Matter and Resources (C3) • Communication, Reference, Instruction (C5) • Literacy and Health Literacy (C6) • Technology and Health (C7)

3. Agenda • Health issues, concerns and barriers faced by older adults. • Health literacy skills and information seeking behavior of older adults. • Exploring health information resources • Strategies to improve communication. • Web-friendly evaluation • Health status of your community • Outreach programming

4. National Network of Libraries of Medicine https://nnlm.gov/

5. Network Member Benefits • Eligibility for health information access project funding. • Access to a variety of training opportunities for librarians, health professionals, and consumers. • The opportunity to partner with other health sciences libraries or health-related information centers. • The opportunity to provide input on regional NNLM programs and services. • Access to the latest health related news and information. • A certificate recognizing your institution's NNLM membership. Join the Network today!

6. Growth of Older Adult Populations By 2040, how many Americans are estimated to be 65 years or older? • 60 million • 70 million • 80 million • 90 million • 100 million

7. Top Aging Concerns URL to 2015 U.S. Aging Survey Executive Summary Report, National Council on Aging

8. HealthCare Access URL to 2015 U.S. Aging Survey Executive Summary Report, National Council on Aging

9. Most Common Health Concerns for Older Adults Influenza and Pneumonia Falls SubstanceAbuse Obesity Depression Oral Health Poverty Shingles • Arthritis • Heart Disease • Cancer • Respiratory Diseases • Alzheimer’s Disease • Osteoporosis • Diabetes

10. Other Determinants of Health • Financial issues • Chronic health issues • Caregiver to partner • Mental health issues • Stress • Loneliness • Housing concerns

11. United States of Aging Survey Graphic 1

12. United States of Aging Survey Graphic 2

13. United States of Aging Survey Graphic 3

14. Activity: Health Information Resources • Exploring the health information resources. • Pick three health concerns from the list on your activity sheet. Find at least one resource from the course list of recommended resources for each health concern you feel adequately addresses the concern. • Make a note of the resource and briefly state why you liked it.

15. Break

16. Health Literacy The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. -HHS 2000 and Institute of Medicine 2004

17. Health Literacy Skills and Older Adults • 71% of adults older than age 60 had difficulty in using print materials. • 80% had difficulty using documents such as forms or charts. • 68% had difficulty with interpreting numbers and doing calculations.

18. How Older Adults Make Health Decisions • They want to feel confident they can use the information in a way that will impact their lives. • They are more likely to take action when a health message or health information is coming from a trusted source. • They like to learn new health information through a variety of methods (spoken word, printed word, visually). • They prefer quick and clear solutions to their health issues, don’t bog them down with too much information.

19. Health Information Seeking Behaviors • Health care providers, Internet, books were the most commonly consulted resources for health information. • Health care providers, pharmacists, friend/relatives were the most trusted sources of health information. • Trust level for Internet information ranked similarly low with newspapers and television.

20. Communicating with Older Adults • Aging results in normal changes to cognition • Reduced processing speed • Greater tendency to be distracted • Reduced capacity to process and remember new information • Two-thirds of adults with vision problems are older than 65 • Hearing loss is common in older adults • 1 in 3 people older than 60 • 50% of those over 80

21. Strategies to Improve Communication

22. Cognitive Challenges • Repeat essential information • Focus on the important meaning of the information, that is, the gist • Use plain language • Communicate directions need to be followed • Use reminders to aid memory (i.e. brochures, pamphlets) • Include skill building with information activities to reinforce meaning

23. Visual Challenges • Make information easy to see and read • Consider providing audio information whenever necessary • Reduce the amount of text

24. Hearing Challenges • Limit background noise • Speak clearly with more volume • Always talk face to face

25. Accessibility of Web Resources Many older people have age-related impairments that can affect how they use the web, such as declining: • Vision — including reduced contrast sensitivity, color perception, and near-focus, making it difficult to read web pages. • Physical ability — including reduced dexterity and fine motor control, making it difficult to use a mouse and click small targets. • Hearing — including difficulty hearing higher-pitched sounds and separating sounds, making it difficult to hear podcasts and other audio, especially when there is background music. • Cognitive ability — including reduced short-term memory, difficulty concentrating, and being easily distracted, making it difficult to follow navigation and complete online tasks. National network of libraries of medicine, south central region

26. Activity: Web-Friendly Evaluation • Older adult website evaluation. • Evaluate two older adult-focused health information websites from the course resource list. • Describe whether they do or do not follow the below factors of older adult-friendly web design.

27. Activity: Health Status of Your Community • Health status of your community. • Learn about health issues and factors influencing the health of your community members. How might these issues and factors affect older adults? Who might you partner with to address these issues?

28. What Does All This Mean for Libraries? • Increased health information research for individuals and caregivers (approximately 28 million library users). • Culling treatment, management, and prevention resources. • Addressing health literacy needs and challenges. • Seek opportunities to engage inside & outside of the building. Source: Becker, Samantha, Michael D. Crandall, Karen E. Fisher, Bo Kinney, Carol Landry, and Anita Rocha. (2010). Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries.(IMLS-2010-RES-01). Institute of Museum and Library Services. Washington, D.C.

29. 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey “…public libraries in the United States advance equal access to health information in many ways.” 59.4 percent of libraries help patrons identify health insurance resources;57.7 percent help patrons locate and evaluate free health information online;48.1 percent help patrons understand specific health or wellness topics;22.7 percent offer fitness classes; and18.1 percent bring in healthcare providers to offer limited healthcare screening services” [6] John Carlo Bertot, et. al., 2014 Digital Inclusion Survey: Findings and Results (College Park, MD: Information Policy & Access Center, University of Maryland College Park, 2015).

30. Outreach Programming “I think the three most important things when it comes to doing Outreach programs are simplicity, patience and compassion. Keeping things simple, especially when relating to technology, is super important, otherwise they can get overloaded and overwhelmed. Patience is also important because you will repeat yourself over and over and over. Be prepared for that. And compassion is important for all people, but especially seniors. They may be scared or worried to ask a question or participate in a program. Be encouraging and find out what's going on, let them talk and know you care.” Marie Corbitt, Outreach Program Librarian, Westerville Public Library

31. Teaching Tips • Be methodical and consistent - don’t jump around. • Be aware of your assumptions and speed (i.e. a scrollbar, Ctrl+F, or the back button might not be intuitive) - assess their skill level. • Know how to use basic accessibility features and software. • Physical instructional aids such as procedures or quick reference sheets.

32. Teaching Tips • Frequently check-in with patrons on their understanding - give feedback. • Give patrons time to generate ideas and questions. • Repeat important concepts multiple times; provide tasks patrons can practice – reinforcement. • Draw out prior experiences to connect their knowledge with what you’re teaching. • I do , We Do, You Do Framework.

33. Outreach Programming • What programming have you done at your library? • What types of programming would you like to do, but are not sure where to start?

34. Questions? Dana Abbey, MLS Dana.abbey@ucdenver.edu NNLM, MidContinental Region 303-724-2110