Continuing with our series of real-life stories about how being proactive with your health can help you stay healthier, let’s learn how health literacy can help you with that.
These three stories show that following a few simple steps—ones we’ve talked about before—can make a big difference.
Case 1
Miguel, 52 — Hospital discharge: avoiding readmission with teach-back and a checklist
- Situation:
- After a hospital stay for heart failure, Miguel got discharge instructions but felt confused about how to lower the salt in his meals and which warning signs to watch for.
- What he learned:
- He asked for “teach-back” (he asked the team to let him repeat instructions in his own words to be sure he got them right).He asked for a step-by-step plan.
- He made a simple checklist: weigh daily, salt limit, when to call the care team.
- Decision:
- As he filled out the checklist, he noticed he had gained about 4–5 pounds (2 kg) in 3 days.
- He called the clinic, and his diuretic (water pill) was adjusted right away.
- Result:
- He avoided another hospital stay.
- Do this:
- Ask your care team to use plain language when they give you instructions. Say you’d like to repeat the instructions back in your own words so everyone knows you understood.
- Ask for a phone number or another quick way to reach the team with questions.
- If you have a heart condition and your team told you to weigh yourself every day, don’t put it off—do it. If you don’t have a scale, ask for help finding one that’s reliable and fits your budget.
Case 2
Robert, 57 — Surgery or physical therapy? Understanding absolute numbers
- Situation:
- Robert had long-term low back pain. He heard that “surgery improves things by 50%.” That sounded great.
- But “50% better” can be relative. Better how? Better for him? Pain better by how much?
- What he learned:
- He asked for absolute numbers: “Out of 100 people like me, how many get better with surgery? And how many get better with physical therapy?”
- Decision:
- Following his care team’s advice, he started physical therapy, lost weight, and strengthened his core muscles.
- Result:
- He avoided surgery for now, and they set up a follow-up plan.
- His pain dropped from 8 out of 10 to 3 out of 10 in 10 weeks.
- Do this:
- Always ask for absolute risks and benefits. “Out of every 100 people, how many does this help?”
- Ask the team for alternatives.Ask what happens if you “wait and watch.”
- Ask for a written summary.
Case 3
James, 72 — Turning near-falls into safety
- Situation:
- James is retired and likes morning walks. After two near-falls in the yard and a small fall in the kitchen, he started staying home. Fear led him to move less—and moving less made him weaker and less steady. A vicious cycle many families know.
- What he learned:
- He learned that falls are not a “normal part of aging” and that you can lower your risk with simple steps.
- He cleared up confusing terms: dizziness when standing up (blood pressure drops quickly), medicine interactions, and the importance of vision and proper footwear.
- He found a safety checklist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and brought his questions to his visit.
- Decision:
- He asked his doctor to review his medicines (some increase fall risk, such as certain sleep medicines and high-dose blood pressure pills).
- He scheduled a physical therapy evaluation for a balance and strength program.
- He made low-cost home changes: removed loose rugs, added grab bars in the bathroom, improved lighting, and used non-slip tape on the stairs.
- He had an eye exam and updated his glasses.
- He started wearing sneakers with firm, non-slip soles inside and outside (goodbye, slippery slippers).
- Result:
- In 3 months, he was back to short walks—without fear.
- With guidance from his care team, he and his family tracked progress using simple goals: standing up from a chair without using hands, standing on one foot for a few seconds, and walking down the hallway without touching the wall.
- Do this (a simple step-by-step):
- 1) Walk through your home with this 5-minute checklist:
- Loose rugs? Remove them or secure with non-slip tape.
- Dark stairs or hallways? Replace bulbs; add a lamp with an easy switch.
- Bathroom? Install a grab bar and use a non-slip mat in the shower.
- Cords across walkways? Reroute and secure them.
- 2) Check your shoes: firm soles, closed at the heel, non-slip bottoms.
- 3) Schedule a medication review with your doctor or pharmacist.
- 4) Practice 2 simple exercises daily (ask your care team first if these are safe for you):
- 1) Walk through your home with this 5-minute checklist:
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