Current programs and future needs in health literacy for older people : a literature review

Inadequate health literacy occurs more amongst older adults and can result in difficulties synthesising information and communicating with health professionals, increased emergency visits and hospitalizations, poor uptake of preventative interventions, increased mortality, and ultimately greater health care costs. A literature review was conducted that identified 12 articles that discussed and examined health literacy interventions among older adults. It revealed few papers exist which highlight programs that examine health literacy outcomes for older adults. The review identified evidence-based best-practice models of health literacy interventions need to be further developed to meet the health literacy needs of aging population. © 2013 Copyright Quynh Le, Daniel R. Terry, and Jess Woodroffe