This article was originally published in 's . The Initiative provides physical activity, nutrition education and health promotion to elders throughout Nevada.
Health literacy is your ability to find, understand and use health information; make “well-informed” decisions; and act on them. This relates to you personally and others in your life and your community. Nearly nine out of 10 adults have difficulty using everyday health information. I know I did when my husband was in a lot of pain after surgery.
We spoke to his doctor about his pain, and she provided a more potent pain medication. I left the office thinking I knew what to do. If the first medication isn’t enough, then give him the second medication. I did exactly that, only to realize that my husband was over-medicated. I had to keep waking him up to breathe until the medication wore off. Thank goodness it was during the day and I was home with him.
On his follow-up appointment, I found out that we were supposed to wait four hours before giving him the second medication. Neither the doctor nor I wrote down what was said. Also, neither of us confirmed that I understood what to do.
This could happen to you, too. Your expertise may be in construction, sewing, accounting or another area. Just like others are not familiar with your area of expertise, you may not be familiar with health information. So, when you're receiving health information, I encourage you to:
- Ask lots of questions.
- Clarify information and sources of information.
- Identify what you can and want to do.
- Make a plan and adapt it when needed.
- Celebrate your successes.
- Encourage others.
Government websites are a good source for health information on a variety of topics, including diabetes, nutrition and physical activity. If you search for “.gov” websites, search engines such as Google can be a good source of reliable and accurate information.
When you're searching for information about a health condition you're experiencing, ask yourself:
- What do I know about this health condition?
- What do I need to know about this health condition?
- Where could I go to find that information and about services offered?
- What happens if I don’t take control of this health condition?
- What new habit could I start to improve my health?
- What are the benefits of doing this new habit?
When making changes in your life to improve your health, consider what matters to you. Perhaps you want to drink more water, exercise and eat more vegetables. Choose one habit and focus on that habit. Start with a small goal and increase slowly. Once you have mastered that one, start focusing on the next habit.
Patricia Swager is the director of the Nevada Geriatric Education Center and the clinical education director at ÍƼöÐÓ°ÉÔ´´, , a unit of the University’s .
Extension is a unit of the University's College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources engaged in Nevada communities, presenting research-based knowledge to address critical community needs. It is a county-state-federal partnership providing practical education to people, businesses and communities.
To learn more about Extension's , visit the Initiative's website.
