Internet-Based Health Resources for Seniors

About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age.

About the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age.

• Searching online for health information is the THIRD most common online activity behind checking e-mail and using a search engine.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010….

• 59% of the total U.S. population use the Internet for health information.

• Out of this 59%, 58% aged 50-64 seek health information online.

• Out of this 59%, only 29% age 65 and older seek health information online.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010….

• Those most likely to search for health information online are adults who have provided unpaid care to a family member, women, whites, college educated, living in a high income household, and between the ages of 18 and 49.

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2010….

• One issue with the Internet is that anyone can put up a website.

• How do we educate users to question what they find on the Internet and to know the difference between a reliable health source and an unreliable source?

Finding Reliable Health Information

• Medline Plus Guide to Healthy Web Surfing http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthywebsurfing.html

• NCCAM Evaluating Web-based Health Resources http://nccam.nih.gov/health/webresources/

• National Institute on Aging – Helping Older Adults Search for Health Information Online: A Toolkit for Trainers http://nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit/toolkitfiles/pdf/Module_9.pdf

Resources for Help in Evaluating Health-Related Web Sites

• The Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct for medical and health Web sites addresses the reliability and credibility of information.

• It is a voluntary certification system based on an "active seal" concept. The HONcode seal helps users identify sources of reliable information. It addresses:– the authority of the information provided– data confidentiality and privacy– proper attribution of sources– transparency of financial sponsorship– the importance of clearly separating advertising from editorial

content.

HON Codehttp://www.hon.ch/HONcode/

• Use a sans serif typeface, such as Arial.

• Use 12 point or 14 point type size for body text.

• Provide a “make the writing bigger” link and always use high contrast.

• Double space all body text.

• Left justified text is optimal for older adults. • Clear labeling (of links, headings and menu items).

Senior-friendly Web Design

• Avoid yellow and blue and green in close proximity.

• Avoid patterned backgrounds.

• Use single mouse clicks to access information.

• Use a consistent page design and the same symbols and icons throughout.

• Use large buttons that do not require precise mouse movements for activation.

Senior-friendly Web Design

• Incorporate buttons such as "Previous Page" and "Next Page“

• Feedback in multiple modes (visual and auditory) may be beneficial.

• Breadth vs. depth - shallow information hierarchies seemed to work better for older users.

• Investigate ways to indicate that a page is not finished and requires scrolling.

• The attention grabbing features on a page should be links.

• Visited links should change color.

Senior-friendly Web Design for

NIH Senior Healthhttp://www.nihseniorhealth.gov

Middle age occurs when you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush up to the net.

Middle age occurs when you are too young to take up golf and too old to rush up to the net.

Federal Health Websites for Seniors

MedlinePlushttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/seniorshealth.html

From the National Library of Medicine

National Institute on Aginghttp://www.nia.nih.gov/

Food & Drug Administrationhttp://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/TipsforSeniors/default.htm

USA.gov for Senior Citizens’ Resourceshttp://www.firstgov.gov/Topics/Senior.shtml

• Center for Disease Control (CDC) http://www.cdc.gov/aging

• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services http://www.cms.gov

• Clinical Trials.gov http://www.clinicaltrials.gov

Other Government Health Websites

Organizations

AARP Healthhttp://aarp.org/health

Geriatric Mental Health Foundationhttp://www.gmhfonline.org/gmhf/

American Geriatrics Society Foundationhttp://www.healthinaging.org

Alliance for Aging Researchhttp://www.agingresearch.org

Medicare Rights Centerhttp://www.medicarerights.org

Mayo Clinic Senior Health Centerhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-aging/MY00374

Sites for Caregivers

Administration on Aging Elders & Familieshttp://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Elders_Families/index.aspx

Info on elder care programs, rights, resources, benefits , services, long-term care insurance & caregiver support programs.

Family Caregiver Alliancehttp://www.caregiver.org

Advocacy group with information & support for caregivers.

Children of Aging Parents (CAPS) http://www.caps4caregivers.org

Caring Connections/National Hospice Foundationhttp://caringinfo.org

• Elder Care Online http://www.ec-online.net/

• National Alliance for Caregiving http://www.caregiving.org

• National Family Caregivers Association http://www.nfcacares.org/

Other Sites for Caregivers…

Sites for Specific Health Issues

• American Heart Association (AHA)– http://www.americanheart.org

• National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute– http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

• Healthcentral, heart disease– http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/

Heart Disease

• National Cancer Institute– http://www.cancer.gov/

• American Cancer Society– http://www.cancer.org/

• Association of Cancer Online Resources– http://www.acor.org/

• Cancer Care, Inc.– http://www.cancercare.org/

• Oncolink– http://oncolink.org/index.cfm

Cancer

• National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases– http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/

• Joslin Diabetes Center– http://www.joslin.harvard.edu/

• Diabetes Monitor– http://www.diabetesmonitor.com/

• American Diabetes Association– http://www.diabetes.org/

Diabetes

• Alzheimer’s Association– http://www.alz.org

• Alzheimer’s Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center– http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers

• Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA)– http://www.alzfdn.org

• Hartford Alzheimer’s Disease Driving Guide– http://hartfordauto.thehartford.com/Safe-Driving/Car-Safety/Older-Dr

iver-Safety/Dementia-Activity/

Alzheimer’s Disease

• American Chronic Pain Association– http://www.theacpa.org

• National Osteoporosis Foundation– http://www.nof.org/

• Arthritis Foundation– http://www.arthritis.org

• National Institute on Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases– http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Others Health Issues…

• American Lung Association– http://lungusa.org

• Glaucoma Research Foundation– http://www.glaucoma.org/

• National Stroke Association– http://www.stroke.org/

• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) – http://www.ninds.nih.gov

• American Parkinson’s Disease Association– http://www.apdaparkinson.org/userND/index.asp

Others Health Issues…

• Food & Nutrition Information Center U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, National Agriculture Library

• Meals on Wheels Asso. of America

• Weight Control Information Network

• American Obesity Association, Obesity.org

Nutrition

The End!