The Panola County Extension Office will host “Health Literacy for Older Texans” beginning February 8 at the Panola Senior Apartments, 101 Senior Avenue in Carthage.
The program includes five sessions on making healthy lifestyle choices, understanding Medicare benefits, communicating well with your doctor, managing your medications, and finding reliable information on the Internet. Adults 65 and older, family members and caregivers of older adults, and health care professionals are encouraged to participate. The program will run every Thursday at 10am from February 8th to March 7th.
The ability to obtain, understand, and act on health information (health literacy) is key to making good health decisions. Evidence shows that people with higher health literacy are more likely to seek preventive care, follow treatment plans, have fewer hospitalizations and emergency services, and have shorter hospital stays.
Andy Crocker, senior dissemination program specialist, said there is now an emphasis on collaboration and shared responsibility between patients and clinicians.
“Health literacy among older adults can change as a result of changes in medical issues, health care providers, and the systems that deliver care,” Crocker said. “Regardless of our circumstances, we all want to feel confident in our decisions and know that we can receive cost-effective, safe and quality health care,” he said.
Paula Butler, AgriLife Extension regional program leader, said the benefits of health literacy among older adults extend beyond improving their own health care decisions and improving their health outcomes.
“Ultimately, health literacy should lead to lower costs for the health care system and improve patient and provider satisfaction,” Butler explained. “We want to help older adults take an active role in their health care, which will benefit not only them personally, but the larger community as well.”
The five-session series will be taught by Clarissa Moon, the county's Family and Community Health Area Extension Agent. Participation in the class is free. Participants are encouraged to register in advance by calling the Extension Office at (903) 693-0380.
