Creating Shared Meaning in the Older Adult Patient and Provider Relationship: A Health Literacy Approach

• In Event: Unraveling the Active Ingredients of Effective Health Communication With Older Adult Patients

Abstract

The physiological, cognitive, language and communicative changes that occur for older adult patients have become quite well documented within the social scientific literature. Many of these changes lead in some way to a lessening of previous interactive abilities and competencies. The new mantra for gerontologists attempting to help older adults compensate for these potential losses is to develop strategies to maintain existing abilities as long as possible. Older adults who are diagnosed with cancer and their informal (family caregivers) and formal providers (health care provider team) must confront a health care system that demands a high level of health literacy to successfully manage the disease. Older adults may be at a distinct disadvantage in their ability to successfully cope with cancer because of age-related physiological, cognitive, psychological and communicative factors. This presentation highlights the relevant research findings and theoretical positioning that points not only to possible pragmatic dilemmas faced by those adapting to cancer and highlights programmatic ways to better understand how older adults and their formal and informal caregivers can improve their cancer health literacy. Providers, patients, and caregivers must all participate in creating a health care environment of shared meaning and understanding of health messages tailored to the aging patient diagnosed with cancer. This presentation will highlight ways in which we as health communication scholars can provide various theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic communication-based programs that can provide important contributions to the complexities of caring for the aging patient from a health literacy approach.

Author

• Lisa Sparks, Chapman U/U of California - Irvine