Browsing by Author "Silva, Carlos Alexandre Quirino Laura"
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- Health literacy in nursing home residing geriatric population: What do they know and what are their challenges?Publication . Silva, Carlos Alexandre Quirino Laura; Patto, Maria da Assunção Morais e Cunha Vaz; Afonso, Rosa Marina Lopes Brás MartinsObjective To assess health literacy (HL) levels in nursing homes (NHs) from two cities in the south of Europe; to determine the main challenges for better HL; and to evaluate the perception of general physicians (GP) within NHs. Methods Observational and descriptive study with an analytical component of the geriatric population residing in NHs. Data was collected in person via questionnaire, categorized in Excel and analysed using SPSS v.28. Results NH residents showed inadequate knowledge of their diseases and medications. Participants were not able to correctly estimate their HL level. Communication problems and lack of resident autonomy were identified as the biggest challenges to HL. Residents’ GPs were appraised mostly “positively” or “fairly”, apart from their ability to explain drug side effects and on how often they discussed nutrition during their appointments. Lastly, we found that conditions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, pre obesity, and obesity were underreported by GPs. Conclusion NH residents are not properly informed about their diseases and therapeutic plans, and they point to physician patient communication issues and lack of autonomy as the main limiting factors. Practice implications We emphasise the need for HL campaigns, autonomy promotion within NHs, and healthcare provider communication training.