Health Literacy and English Language for Adult Immigrants and Refugees Susan Bockrath, M.P.H., C.H.E.S

Literacy + Health Literacy, Reconciling Goals & Objectives Practice and improve English language skills in the domains of … Listening Speaking Reading Writing Promote healthy behavior through basic knowledge and language skill-building related to topics such as… Nutrition Diabetes Heart disease/hypertension Physical activity Oral health Accessing the health care system locally Emergency response

Project Goals – Students develop English skills related to health – Student gain understanding of basic prevention principles. Tied to disease prevalence in a given community – Students access a medical home.

Class topic: Diabetes Student: Do I have diabetes? I am thirsty all the time and my mom has diabetes. Tutor: It sounds like you need to find out more.

Dialog with Nurse or Doctor Nurse: How are you feeling? Customer: I am worried that I have diabetes. Nurse: Why are you worried? Customer: I feel thirsty a lot. Nurse: Ok, I can help you. Nurse: How are you feeling? Customer: I am worried that I have diabetes. Nurse : Why are you worried? Customer: My mother had diabetes. Nurse : Ok, I can help you. Nurse: How do you feel? Customer: I am worried that I have diabetes. Nurse : Why are you worried? Customer: I can’t see well (or) my vision is blurry. Nurse : Ok, I can help you.

Activities—Diabetes List foods the student ate that day Categorize the foods according to groupings on diabetes placemat Write shopping list that reflects proportions on the diabetes placemat

Successes – RWJF health literacy program has served 120 ELL adults from Sudan, Latin America, Vietnam, and Burma. Additional students served in other health lit programs – Participation and retention high – Capacity to provide health literacy programs Strategic partnerships Health lit. in-service Curricula, lesson plans, resources – Individual student health outcomes Diabetes and hypertension diagnoses

Challenges Combining domains/goals – Meeting various partners goals and – Effectively utilizing their resources Frayed safety net grows more frayed. – Access to community health clinic unreasonably difficult – We can facilitate at times based on personal relationships, but this in NOT a sustainable model Exclusively child-centered funding priorities locally – United Way Placing responsibility for health literacy solely at feet of our students – Bryan presentations

This is a stool.

Implementing health education with ELL adults of various backgrounds Working with non health professionals to provide health education Resources: why dig when we already have? Expertise

You put your leg in, Your put your leg out… Reviewing anatomy words, that’s what it’s all about

Whys of Success Tutor experience – And training Focused goals on what is achievable in this context with these partnerships Selective partnerships Flexibility Me (not to brag or anything)

Health Literacy The degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions. – Healthy People 2010