Health literacy in the elderly

Abstract

Aging of the population is particularly notable in high-income countries, while the vulnerability of elderly is well described in the literature. Cognitive and social skills decline during the aging process, which affects the level of health literacy. Health literacy refers to the ability to obtain, process and understand basic health information, and act upon information within the healthcare system. Elderly with an adequate level of health literacy are empowered to manage their health, as opposed to those with a low level of health literacy who have the greater chance of developing chronic illnesses and premature death. Also, elderly with low level of health literacy rarely use preventive services, but seek emergency services more often, they know less about their basic chronic illness and are more often faced with difficulties in managing their own disease. They have worse health outcomes and self-perception of health than those with adequate health literacy. This indicates the necessity of creating specific interventions aimed to improve the health outcomes of older people.