QIO HHQI Weekly Update :: November 26, 2007   

TIP OF THE WEEK

Communicating effectively with older adults about the flu

With flu season upon us, many organizations are promoting influenza vaccination. While the flu vaccine is important for all age groups, it is especially important that seniors 65 years and older get vaccinated. If you are developing messages and materials to encourage this group to get vaccinated, remember that communication strategies used to reach other audiences are typically not as effective with seniors. Read below for some tips on how to reach this important group.

• In developing your message, emphasize that seniors are protecting loved ones, such as grandchildren, by getting vaccinated.
• Use images of families or healthcare professionals in your materials.
• Use community events, such as senior groups or bingo games as a venue for communicating your message. These events are often well attended and allow you to reach many people at the same time.
• Get permission to hang posters in an adult community or post flyers on their community bulletin board.
• Distribute information through a town or city flyer.
• Keep in mind that seniors may have limited eyesight or language skills when designing print materials, so keep any text short and simple. However, while written messages may not reach all seniors, caretakers or other family members often read them.

For more information on communicating with older adults, please visit:

• http://izta.org/resources.cfm?cat=3 This section of the National Immunization Technical Assistance Network (IZTA) Web site provides information on communicating with older individuals and minority populations.
• http://izta.org/content.cfm?id=607cat=23subcat=65 This section of the IZTA Web site has print ads available for download that target seniors. You can also order hard copies of some of these ads by e-mailing izta@aed.org
• http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/pubs/communicating/pdf/comsen_e.pdf This publication from The Public Health Agency of Canada offers a wealth of information about communicating with seniors.

Source: The Immunization Coalitions Technical Assistance Network

 

IN THE NEWS

PILOT PROGRAM HELPS BOOST SENIORS’ ACTIVITY LEVELS, QUALITY OF LIFE

November 16, 2007 - - UCLA Healthcare - - Older adults often carry a deeply ingrained belief that inactive, sedentary lives are an inevitable part of aging. But this mindset is not just wrong; it can be changed — with positive physical and mental health results.

In a new UCLA study, researchers show that older adults who participated in a pilot test for a program aimed at changing this mindset became more physically active, increasing their walking levels by about 24 percent — an average increase of 2.5 miles per week. The study is available on the Web site of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Read more >>

VACCINE-PREVENTABLE DEATHS REACH NEW LOW IN U.S.

November 13, 2007 - - Washington Post - - The incidence of vaccine-preventable deaths has reached an all-time low in the United States, a new federal report shows.

The study, by researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also found that childhood vaccinations have reduced the death rates from seven previously common childhood illnesses, such as diphtheria, mumps and measles, by 100 percent. Read more >>

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS

OASIS UPDATE 2008 – TELECONFERENCE WITH CORRINE STEVENSON, OEC

December 5, 2007, 10:00 a.m. OR 2:30 p.m.
Duration: 1hr        Cost: Free
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