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Providing health information to older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2010

Cheryl A Sadowski
Cheryl A Sadowski*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Canada
*
Address for correspondence: Cheryl Sadowski, Associate Professor, Faculty of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, CanadaT6G 2N8. Email: csadowski@pharmacy.ualberta.ca
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Summary

Providing information to older adults is essential for informed decision-making and good health. Because there are significant deficits in providing information verbally, health professionals must use written information as well. Most studies have focused on the content and literacy of documents. However, the legibility and formatting are critically important for older adults, who are more likely to suffer with visual impairment. Providing written information that is tested for appropriate reading level and for presentation is necessary to ensure that older adults can use the information given. There are a number of tools available that test these aspects of written information, but not one tool that is universally accepted. Further research regarding the design and presentation of written information for older adults is necessary.

Keywords

informationpatient empowermentolder people
Type
Clinical geriatrics
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 21 , Issue 1 , February 2011 , pp. 55 - 66
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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