Abstract

A review of the literature confirms that health literacy impacts society tremendously. This research project responds to the question: How can the gap between health literacy efforts and educating older diabetic adults be bridged? The aging of the population, as well as a greater absolute increase in the prevalence of diabetes among elderly people is expected to become an epidemic. While online health information has lessened the gap, as it is free and often simplified, the emphasis is on self-management and self-care, leaving some individuals still without easy access to health care guidance. Currently there is a global push from governing agencies to improve health literacy. Overall, patients with low health literacy need to understand the implications of diabetes and how they can better cope with it. This exploratory qualitative research study explores the literature, searching for gaps in what is known, and conducts narrative interviews to understand how to bridge the gap between health literacy efforts and older diabetic adults. It concludes that improving health literacy within this population requires more transmission of health information, promoting health education that will improve individuals’ confidence and ability to self-manage their care.