Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: The Health Literacy

There is a plethora of data collection instruments that can be successfully applied to research study concerning the issue. Face-to-face interviews allow for the most precise information that is underpinned and enhanced by personal experiences. The AHQR test should be successfully integrated into the interviewing process, which can substantially enhance the research process. Communication with patients must be performed in a way that allows for building trust and patients’ willingness to contribute to the study. For instance, teaching the elderly about the increased risks of patient falls will contribute to the enhanced overall health literacy (Bridenbaugh & Kressig, 2020). Thus, providing the cognitively impaired older adults with basic safety measures and explaining all the risks that they face in their precarious position is essential.

There is already a large body of evidence cornering the health literacy of older adults, which can provide valuable insights. For instance, Montero‐Odasso and Speechley (2018) state that virtual reality modalities and dual-task training can enhance the perception of common risks that may harm cognitively impaired older adults, which increases health literacy. Thus, numerous studies on the topic performed in different locations are a valid method, as they can significantly increase the quality of research by minimizing statistical errors. Among the above-mentioned tools, tests stand out as the most reliable tool, followed by surveys, interviews, and information from various research.

The data collection procedure should start with a general survey that seeks to investigate the issues and provides the necessary background information. Then, a random selection of mildly cognitively impaired older adults between the age of 65 and 91, totaling 30 people, should be interviewed by a single researcher, which decreases the chances of the emergence of disparities. The AHQR tests should be performed during the second part of the interview. Adekpedjou et al. (2020) underpin the importance of home care teams that seek to increase nurses’ involvement in health-related housing issues for cognitively impaired older adults. Therefore, nurses should proceed with the same interviews in order to track the progress.

The original data analysis procedures are to be performed in a timely manner to ensure rapid information processing, while the continuous interviewing and AHQR tests should be conducted in a time frame of one year. Given the complexity of work with cognitively impaired older adults, all the data analysis techniques should be tailored in a way that allows to apply them when visiting patients, as the main location is their homes. All the participants of the large-scale research should be informed of the fundamental role of respect for privacy in the entire undertaking, ensuring that all the responses are kept anonymous. Moreover, all the legal issues should be analyzed and integrated into a document that helps register patient’s permission for data collection and processing prior to interviews and tests.

References

Adekpedjou, R., Stacey, D., Brière, N., Freitas, A., Garvelink, M. M., Dogba, M. J., Durand, P. J., Desroches, S., Croteau, J., Rivest, L. P., & Légaré, F. (2020). Engaging caregivers in health-related housing decisions for older adults with cognitive impairment: A cluster randomized trial. The Gerontologist, 60(5), 947–957.

Bridenbaugh, S. A., & Kressig, R. W. (2020). Epidemiology and falls risk factors in cognitively impaired older adults. In M. Montero-Odasso & R. Camicioli (Eds.), Falls and cognition in older persons: Fundamentals, sssessment and therapeutic options (pp. 35–48). Springer.

Montero‐Odasso, M., & Speechley, M. (2018). Falls in cognitively impaired older adults: Implications for risk assessment and prevention. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 66(2), 367–375.