Definition the ability to read and understand the literal text on a medicine bottle or a doctor's spoken instructions partnered with the ability to access and navigate the healthcare system.
Objectives of the MetLife Foundation
Health literacy Initiative
- Increase the ability of elder immigrants to communicate with health care providers and access health care.
- Increase opportunities for ocllege students from diverse backgrounds to learn about and address the ehlath literacy needs of immigrant elders.
- Increase the cultural competency of future health care professionals.
- Develop culturally appropriate health litreacy curriculum geared to the literacy abilities of elder immigrants
- Build the capacity of university students, ESL instructors and adult education administrators serving immigrant elders to incorporate health literayc topics into their classes and educational programs.
How Student Coaches Participate............
- Tutoring immigrants and refugees about Health Care using specifically outlined units
Units Include
- The Doctors Office
- The Hospital
- Managing Illness
- Healthy Aging
- Taking Medications
For more information on Health Literacy units visit www.projectshine.org/healthliteracy
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Participate in a Health Fair, held on the Utica College Campus each spring.
- Students prepare informative presentations relating to a healthcare concern.
- Leaners from the different community sites are bused to the Utica College Campus to tour the different displays and listen to the presentations
- Topics at the Spring 2007 Health Fair Included:
- Dental Care-complete with a sampeling of different mouth wash
- Protecting Skin from the Sun
- Risks and Hazards associated with Smoking
- Heart Health-complete with a reading of the learners blood pressure
- Healthy Snacks
- First Aid
- How to administer CPR-Adult and Child Presentations with a dummy
Students do not just service the learner, they service the learner's families. By servicing the learner's families, student coaches service the greater community.