Department of Health and Human Services
Administration on Aging

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Communicating with Older Adults

Each year, the National Aging Services Network (Aging Network) serves eight million older Americans, especially those in greatest social and economic need and approximately one million family caregivers. On a daily basis, the Aging Network addresses issues of how best to communicate with individuals. Health literacy, cultural competency, and meeting the needs of persons with limited English proficiency must all be taken into consideration to ensure effective communications.

This Web page on Communicating with Older Adults offers tools that will help you better meet these everyday challenges:

• General communication principles
• Health literacy
• Plain language
• Web site design guidelines

General Communication Principles

The principles for communicating with the public apply to all ages. Some of the resources available from the Federal government include:

• The National Cancer Institute has developed a guide for communication program planning. For more information on this topic visit: http://www.cancer.gov/pinkbook.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a guide to help translate complicated and scientific information in a way that your audience can relate to and understand more easily: http://www.cdc.gov/communication/resources/simpput.pdf.
• CDC has also developed a multimedia guide for public health communication programs. For more information go to: http://www.cdc.gov/healthmarketing/cdcynergy/index.htm.

Health literacy means being able to find, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. Health literacy is important because low health literacy is linked to poor health outcomes.

Tools for Improving Health Literacy

• Quick Guide to Health Literacy
  Consult the Quick Guide to Health Literacy to learn more about this important issue and what professionals can do to improve health literacy among adults. Visit the DHHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s (ODPHP) Web site: http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/quickguide/.
• Health Literacy Power Point Presentation and other resources
  View Health Literacy Power Point slides and find other resources by visiting
  ODPHP’s Web site at:
  http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/default.htm.

Other Resources

• Video
  For a video overview of health literacy issues go to the Institute of Medicine’s Web site at: http://www.aed.org/ToolsandPublications/iom/.
• Joint Commission Call to Action
  The Joint Commission, an organization that evaluates and accredits health care organizations and programs in the United States, has released a new public policy white paper on health literacy, “‘What Did the Doctor Say?’” Improving Health Literacy to Protect Patient Safety. Click here, for a copy of the white paper from Joint Commission’s Web site.
• Why is Health Literacy Important for Older Adults
  View the Power Point Presentation, “Why is Health Literacy Important for
  Seniors,” to learn more about why health literacy is important for older
  adults. This presentation was developed by ODPHP. More...
• Relevance of Health Literacy to Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs)*
  Download this issue brief which has implications for many in the aging network here. Click here for download. For more information about ADRCs visit: http://www.aoa.gov/prof/aging_dis/aging_dis.asp.
  

Plain Language

“Plain language” refers to communication with an audience in a way that they will understand information the first time they read or hear it.

For information on this topic visit: www.plainlanguage.gov. This site also includes a guide about how to write “reader friendly” documents at: www.plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines/reader-friendly.cfm.

Web Site Design Guidelines

• The National Institutes of Health has developed a checklist on how to make Web sites easier for seniors to use. For more information visit:
  http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/ocpl/resources/wag/documents/checklist.pdf.
• Making Web Sites More Accessible for Users Who are Older and/or have a Disability*
  Download an issue brief on the topic of website accessibility* here. For more information about ADRCs visit: http://www.aoa.gov/prof/aging_dis/aging_dis.asp.

*Note: Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) are a cooperative effort of the Administration on Aging and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Grantees in 43 states provide information on, streamlining access to, and assistance with long-term supports and services in 100 locations across the United States through the ADRCs.

Revised 3/21/07(1)