Learning module

The Effects of Aging on Health Literacy

1.5 contact hours 4 learning objectives

This module will help you become familiar with the many influences and changes that can affect one's ability to process and navigate health information in the later years. The changes encompass physical, psychological and cognitive changes, as well as social and cultural changes. Throughout the lessons service coordinators are offered insight into who the older adult learner is and strategies for addressing the health literacy needs of the older population. 

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What You'll Learn

Module objectives

  • Describe the aging process and how it affects learning.

  • Define the scope of the health literacy problem among older adults.

  • Identify traits of the older adult learner and implications for teaching.

  • Identify potential barriers to teaching older adults and strategies to reduce these barriers and facilitate learning.

Table of Contents

Module sequence

  1. Module Home

    This section introduces The Effects of Aging on Health Literacy module. Learners will encounter the module's opening content and navigation context.

  2. Objectives

    Review the learning objectives for this module. Use them to focus on the knowledge and skills covered in the sections that follow.

  3. Background

    This lesson introduces aging, learning, and health literacy in older adults. It discusses biological, psychological, social, environmental, and cultural factors that may affect education and learning.

  4. Health Literacy and the Aging Population

    This section discusses health literacy and the aging population. Learners will encounter definitions, context, and approaches for communicating with older adults.

  5. Older Adults with Sensory Changes

    This section examines vision and hearing changes that can affect health literacy for older adults. It provides communication and material-design considerations and includes a quick quiz.

  6. Older Adults & Intellectual Ability

    This lesson discusses intellectual ability and health-literacy barriers for older adults. It covers prior knowledge, abstract thinking, time to process information, and a quick quiz.

  7. Older Adults with Short-term Memory Loss

    This section addresses short-term memory loss as a barrier to health literacy for older adults. Learners will encounter communication techniques, plain-language examples, chunking guidance, and a quick quiz.

  8. Older Adults & Motivation and Anxiety

    This section discusses motivation, anxiety, and other factors that can affect learning for older adults. It presents preparation, instruction, feedback, and communication approaches.

  9. Healthcare Changes & Serving an Older Population

    This lesson examines health-care delivery changes affecting older adults, including shorter hospital stays and complex care needs. It discusses patient education, discharge, wait times, and adapting teaching approaches.

  10. Additional Resources

    This section provides additional health-literacy resources and module references. Learners will find linked resources, source citations, and further reading.

  11. Post Test

    Complete the module post-test to check your understanding of the material. Use the results to identify topics you may want to review.

  12. Evaluation

    Share feedback about the module and your learning experience. Complete this evaluation as you finish the module.

  13. Certificate

    Access your certificate after completing the required module activities. Use this section to view or download documentation of completion.