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Inadequate Health Literacy Among Paid Caregivers of Seniors

Journal Article
May 1, 2011

This study seeks to evaluate whether direct care workers caring for elders possess adequate ”health literacy,” specifically regarding medication administration and accompaniment of elders to physician appointments. More than one-third (35.7%) of workers surveyed displayed inadequate health literacy. The authors concluded that ”caregivers are often held responsible for tasks outside of their skill set, while they are unfairly taken advantage of with low pay and difficult conditions.”

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Key Takeaways

Health literacy is important in assisting with medications and other activities of daily living.
Over one-third (35.7%) of the workers in this study had inadequate health literacy.
Educating workers is key to improving health literacy and quality of care.
 

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