Creating A Health Literacy Manual for Older Adults would not have been possible without funding from the National Literacy Secretariat (NLS) of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) as well as support from the Nova Scotia Seniors’ Secretariat. Both deserve a note of appreciation for recognizing that health literacy is an issue that needs attention, especially among older adults.
Also, the manual would not have been possible without its validation by the following professionals in the health and literacy fields who took time to review the lesson plans and to offer suggestions:
Searching for reliable sources of easy-to-read health material for older adults has been challenging, so I am fortunate to have found the following original materials which I edited and adapted to incorporate into the lesson plans: (1) A Nation for all Ages? A Participatory Study of Canadian Seniors’ Quality of Life in Seven Municipalities by Bryant, Raphael et al, 2002 (2) Seniors and Active Living, a fact sheet from the Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat (3) “Nutritional Needs for Older Adults”, an article from the University of Iowa Health Care (4) All About Nutrients, a fact sheet from the Canadian Diabetes Association/Dietitians of Canada (5) Food Safety for Older Adults, a booklet from the Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education (6) “Talking with your Doctor: A Guide for Older People”, an article from the journal Ageing International, Winter 2003 (7) The Pocket Guide to Staying Healthy at 50+, a publication from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (U.S.A.).