Senior Citizens Healthcare

Age is a major factor in health disparities because many older Americans exist on fixed incomes which often make paying for health care expenses difficult. Additionally, they may face impaired mobility or lack of transportation which make accessing health care services challenging for them physically. Too often, they may not have the opportunity to access health information via the internet, as less than 15% of Americans over the age of 65 have access to the internet, putting older individuals at a distinct disadvantage in accessing valuable information about their health and how to protect it. According to the American Medical Association, poor health literacy is "a stronger predictor of a persons health than age, income, employment status, education level and race. Groups with the highest prevalence of chronic disease and the greatest need for health care had the least ability to read and comprehend information needed to function as patients". Health literacy as “the ability to read, understand and use health information to make appropriate health care decisions and follow instructions for treatment.”Many Americans face serious challenges interpreting basic information required to choose a health plan and understand their health benefits. Patients with low health literacy have great difficulty managing chronic conditions

Senior Citizens