TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Helping Older Adults with Low Health Literacy A1 - Chodos, Anna H. A1 - Sudore, Rebecca L. A2 - Williams, Brie A. A2 - Chang, Anna A2 - Ahalt, Cyrus A2 - Chen, Helen A2 - Conant, Rebecca A2 - Landefeld, C. Seth A2 - Ritchie, Christine A2 - Yukawa, Michi Y1 - 2014 N1 - T2 - Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Geriatrics, 2e AB - Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.” The construct of health literacy is complex. It involves reading and writing, listening and verbal communication skills, and computational or numeracy skills required for such tasks as pill counting or insulin dosing. Limited health literacy (LHL) is thought to occur at or below an eighth grade reading level. Language barriers also contribute to LHL, and the number of foreign-born, older adults in the United States who have limited English proficiency is growing. Health literacy is also a function of the health care environment, which places a heavy burden on patients to manage their own complex disease processes and health care benefits. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/04/18 UR - accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1100070211 ER -