"Health Literacy Now - Health Literacy For All - Health Literacy Forever"

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Seniors Health Literacy Project
A Washington, DC Participatory Intervention

(P. I. Advocates International & Senior Services Program)  

      
seniors helping seniors
 

 HIV/AIDS

When we think of HIV we have certain populations in mind. We hear about its ravages on young men and women; on the gay and transgender populations; on the homeless and the intravenous drug user. We seldom think about hiv and senior citizens.

DC Needs Assessment For Seniors

A needs assessment is used to review and analyze the evidence or facts concerning an individual's social, psychological, and physical health challenges and problems. This results in a "Plan of Care" record that contains the level of functional ability (i.e., mildly, moderately, or severely impaired) and requisite support services needed.

FacilityService AreaContact
Family Matters of Greater Washington
1509 16th Street, NW		Citywide(202) 289-1510
Ext. 1180
Barney Neighborhood Senior Program
5656A Third Street, NE
Wards 1 and 4  
Emmaus Services for the Aging
1426 Ninth Street, NW
Ward 2(202) 745-1200
IONA Senior Services
4125 Albemarle Street, NW		Wards 1 (Kalorama Heights),
2 (Foggy Bottom and Dupont Circle) and 3		(202) 966-1055
Seabury Resources for Aging
2900 Newton Street, NE
Ward 5(202) 529-8701
South Washington East of the River Family Strengthening Collaborative
Case Management and Case Assessment   
900 G Street, SE		Ward 6 (202) 608-1340
East River Family Strengthening Collaborative
3732 Minnesota Avenue, NE
Ward 7(202) 397-7300
Downtown Cluster's Aging Services
2447 Good Hope Road, SE

There are four types of literacy that play a role in health literacy:
  1. Fundamental literacy
  2. Scientific literacy
  3. Civic literacy
  4. Cultural literacy

(5) For seniors PIA has added computer literacy because computer use among seniors has proven to be very beneficial to them in many ways. It gets them active again in something. While using a computer is not similar as doing exercise for the body, the use of a computer is a very stimulating way for them to exercise their most important muscle – their brain.

 

 

 


  

Take the PIA training and gain an understanding how each type of literacy play a major role in healthy living,  wellness, medical cost, and minimizes disease risks.  

 

Next PIA Workshop / WDC 

(DC - Ward 1)     MLK Library

 

(DC - Ward 5)     Northwest One Neighborhood Library

 

(DC - Ward 8)     Anacostia Neighborhood Library

 Videos

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerous benefits of a healthy diet and proper nutrition include: increased mental acuteness; resistance to illness and disease; higher energy levels; a more robust immune system; faster recuperation times, and; better management of chronic health problems.

 

As we age, our relationship to food changes along with our bodies. When we're younger, we might grab fast food on the run and not think twice about it. In later life, however, eating well can be the key to staying mentally sharp, emotionally balanced and energetic, with a strong immune system and a positive outlook. 

 

Nutrition for Seniors / Healthy Eating Tips for Older Adults

  

Mental tips for changing old habits and improving diet

 

  • Start slow – Rome wasn't built in one day, and neither is a healthy diet. If you find your diet is full of highly processed foods, sweets, sodium and caffeine, don't try to change everything overnight. Pick one thing to work on at a time and give yourself a pat on the back when you achie  ve your goal. Then, move on to your next goal.
  • Think positive – Rather than thinking about breaking bad habits, think about establishing good ones. Don't just concentrate on eliminating processed foods from your diet, first add 3 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables to your daily menu or cook one meal from fresh whole foods everyday. You may have to work hard to banish old habits, but your first steps should be in a positive direction.
  • Reward yourself – Celebrate the small victories by rewarding yourself with non-food related treats. If you have a favorite hobby or activity, consider using some of those things as incentives along your road to healthy eating. If you link some of your favorite things to good nutrition, eating well might just become a routine part of your life.
  • Create a picture of success – Visualization can help you keep moving in the right direction. Spend some time everyday thinking about why a healthy diet is important to you. If you hope to have more energy, or lower your cholesterol, or have stronger bones, or stick around longer for your children or grandchildren, remind yourself of those things on a daily basis so that you remember why you are working so hard.

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    For the year 2010 and beyond, PIA proposes to train senior citizens residing in DC local senior housing programs/buildings how to access and retrieve HIV/AIDS and other health information on the internet. In a 2 & ½ hr workshop we will teach seniors how and where to fine, evaluate, and retrieve “easy-to-understand” senior-specific health information and resources housed in electronic medical libraries. In conjunction with our training, we will provide information on HIV/AIDS and other health information to seniors using visual presentations in PowerPoint format. For 10 years PIA’s staff and outreach teams have taught others how to access and use practical applications of health information in their daily lives, in accordance with medical professionals. Our training uses medlineplus.gov, AIDSinfo.gov, the body.org and other reliable medical websites as teaching tools for finding current health resources. We are targeting seniors in project to increase their awareness of HIV infection rates among their population and why they should accept personal responsibility for behaviors that puts them at risk for infection. When we secure funding and in-kind backing we will teach at least 6 seniors (2 to a team) to provide two monthly PowerPoint presentations on HIV/AIDS and other associated conditions in their particular building. They will continue this process until all interested residents attend these informative sessions where they are also directed to PIA’s web navigation workshop.  PIA will facilitate two monthly workshops specifically designed for seniors in collaborating local libraries’ state of the art computer labs. These workshops are designed to address health literacy and computer literacy as a combined concept aimed at enhancing computer skills as well as information retrieval skills. As an incentive, we will provide a “certificate of completion” from The U. S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), part of The National Institutes of Health.  

    Why are seniors reluctant to get a second opinion?

    I was reading an article recently about why seniors are reluctant to get a second medical opinion. It was really quite interesting, because I find that I am the same way and I am only a senior by AARP standards. Many of us grew up with going to the family doctor for everything. The same doctor who gave us antibiotics for strep throat also delivered our babies. One doctor did it all. Today is quite different. There seems to be a doctor for each type of illness (well almost). Perhaps the elderly are frustrated with so many different types of doctors that a second opinion to the same type of doctor just doesn't occur to them. Or perhaps, it is the way they were brought up to respect and not question those in authority. Caregivers to the elderly are in a sensitive yet sometimes difficult situation when it comes to suggesting and sometimes insisting that an elderly family member get a second opinion. It is a good idea to get a second opinion when it comes to serious or potentially serious health problems or an illness that requires heavy duty medication and special diets. Karen Best Wright, B.S. Community Health Education

     

     

    Bones and Joints

    This category covers diseases and injuries to bones and joints.


    Kidney Disease, a silent disease

      

    Kidney Quiz

     

    Kidney disease is a silent disease. That means you do not feel symptoms until it is too late and you need medical treatment. No all, but most people who get kidney disease are over 60. The main causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure. Fortunately, people have control over diabtes and high blood pressure. Proper eating and exercise and medication if necessary can control these two diseases, thus helping to prevent the dreaded kidney disease. Treating kidney disease if far more instrusive than preventing it. Here is a link to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about Keeping Kidneys Healthy.

     Karen Best Wright, B.S. Community Health Education