Recorded presentation

Rita J. Lourie, MSN, MPH, RN, Cathy Curley, MSN, RN, Patricia M. Dillon, PhD, and Kim Olsen, MSN. Department of Nursing, Temple University, 3307 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140, 215-707-4872, rlourie@temple.edu

Functional health literacy levels are low among elderly immigrants and refugees. In an effort to combat this problem, the SHINE project from the Center for Intergenerational Learning teamed with the Temple University Department of Nursing to assess and analyze the needs of the Latino, Korean, Chinese and Russian elderly communities in Philadelphia. The goals of SHINE are to 1) increase the ability of elder immigrants to access healthcare and to communicate with health care providers; 2) increase the knowledge base of elder immigrants regarding specific illnesses and effective prevention strategies and 3) increase opportunities for college students from diverse backgrounds to assess and address the health literacy needs of immigrant elders. To ascertain the specific health literacy needs of immigrant elders, groups of students, faculty and SHINE staff evaluated the Chinese, Hispanic, Russian, and Korean elders in Philadelphia. Interviews were conducted with the elders and health professionals involved with immigrant populations. Information-gathering meetings and focus groups were conducted and the information analyzed. The project uncovered issues pertaining to isolation, language barriers, powerlessness, and health care access concerns. In addition, the results revealed a knowledge deficit on the part of health care providers regarding culture and its impact on nutritional education. These findings were discussed with community leaders and strategies were generated for resolving the problems. Temple University Center for Intergenerational Learning and the Community Health Nursing teams each brought unique talents to the table; each brought more to the project than had been anticipated during the writing of the proposal.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Explore the process of the academic/non-profit partnership in the assessment and analysis of the health literacy needs of the immigrant elderly.
• Examine the results of the health literacy project in relation to the original objectives
• Analyze the unique role the nursing profession can play in the public health mission to eliminate health disparities.

Keywords: Access to Care, Cultural Competency

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation