Transcript Health Information for Kids, Teens and Seniors, Oh My! Kelli Ham, MLIS Consumer Health Coordinator NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region An Infopeople Webinar October 28, 2008 12pm-1pm Infopeople webcasts.

Health Information for
Kids, Teens and Seniors, Oh My!
Kelli Ham, MLIS
Consumer Health Coordinator
NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region
An Infopeople Webinar
October 28, 2008
12pm-1pm
Infopeople webcasts are supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum
and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and
Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
Objectives
Attendees will be able to
 understand the different health
information needs of children, teens and
older adults
 refer users to quality age-appropriate
health resources
 provide health programming of interest to
users at various life stages
 engage community partners to enhance
services
Agenda
Different Ages, Different Needs
Health Information for Young People
Young people have health information needs, but they
may not think of it in those terms.
Information-seeking Behavior
 Young children rely on trusted adults for
information
 Older kids more likely to ask friends rather
than an adult
 Teens more likely to go online or look up
information on their own
 Often tech-savvy, but not about evaluating
quality of health information on the web
What is on their Minds?
(The Short List.)
 Young children
 body parts, pooping and peeing
 Grade school
 body fluids (barf, snot, sweat)
 Tweens
 puberty!
 Teens
 acne, dieting, sex (not necessarily in that order)
What Do They Actually Ask?
 Poll: Do you serve
young patrons?
If so, please describe
one or two healthrelated requests you’ve
received. What are
some challenges in
serving young users?
Kid’s Health Info on the Web
The Bad News
 Lots of bad content
 Kids lack evaluation
skills
 Few opportunities to
learn best resources on
their own
The Good News
 Lots of quality content
for all ages
 Interactive websites
 Great opportunities for
librarians to teach
Great Online Starting Points
KidsHealth.org A health site for kids, teens and
parents, including a teachers’ section with lesson
plans for different ages and grades.
BAM! This site from the CDC is for kids 9-13 years
old. The Teacher’s Corner includes activities and
guides on health topics.
Yucky From Discovery Health for Kids, the Gross &
Cool Body site is an interactive, fun and informative
site on things like “Pimples, burps, farts and
funnybones.” That says it all!
Kids Health
kidshealth.org
Different Styles for Kids and Teens
KidsHealth in the Classroom
KidsHealth
Game Closet
Experiments and
games offer
plenty of ideas
for fun activities
BAM! Body
and Mind
from the
CDC
BAM! Classroom
has numerous
activities of
interest to kids
and teens
bam.gov
BAM! Teacher’s Corner
Yucky from Discovery Kids
yucky.discovery.com
Teacher Center on the Yuckiest Site
Additional Kid-Friendly Sites
 girlshealth.gov
 mypyramid.gov/kids
 toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/
 MedlinePlus Childrens’ and Teens’ pages
All about
Girls
Health
For girls 10-16
years old
girlshealth.gov
MyPyramid.gov/kids
Blast Off Game in MyPyramid.gov
MedlinePlus Children’s Page
MedlinePlus Teen’s Page
ToxMystery for Children Ages 7-10 Years
toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov
Interactive Fun and Learning
Environmental Health and Genetics
For older students:
 ToxTown
 Genetics Home Reference
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Tox Town
Resource about environmental hazards in common places
toxtown.nlm.nih.gov
Welcome to the Farm
Genetics Home Reference
User-friendly site to help understand genetics
ghr.nlm.nih.gov
In General…
Young people
 like to have fun while learning
 prefer activities (not passivities)
 like teaching or learning from
other kids
 enjoy creating the content or
planning the activity
 want to use technology
The trick is tying it together with
health as the program idea.
FACT: Health topics are inherently dull,
boring, or embarrassing
So how do you make it fun?
 Wacky titles already in your collection
 Utilize the web – games, quizzes
 Use technology whenever possible
 Involve your young patrons – ask them!
What Works in your Library?
 Story time for the very young
 Demonstrations and hands-on experiments
 Games, activities, scavenger hunts
 Technology
 online interactive resources
 Wii Fit; Dance, Dance Revolution
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Use Popular Titles for Storytime Ideas
or Fun Activities for Older Kids
Reaching Teens through Technology
Hold training classes geared to kids & teens!
Consider This…
 Content created by and for teens, kids
 health topic pathfinders
 podcasts
 video tutorials
 peer tutor programs
 Jeopardy-type quiz shows, games in
PowerPoint
Partnership Ideas
 Schools
 Librarian, instructional media staff, school nurse
 Hospitals
 Librarian, pediatrics staff, patient education dept.
 Youth organizations
 Boys and Girls Clubs, Scouts
 Fitness programs like Students Run LA
 Peer tutoring programs*
*High school peer tutors teach MedlinePlus: a model for
Hispanic outreach J Med Libr Assoc. 2005 April; 93(2): 243–252.
Health Information for Older Adults
Good health information is needed at every stage,
from the Boomer generation to the elderly
What Appeals to Older Adults?
They…
 want quality information
 appreciate help with technology
 are likely to have more health issues and concerns
Common Themes for Older Adults
Information Needs of Seniors
TOPIC
MEETING THE NEED
 Diseases and conditions
 Books, print materials
 Wellness and prevention
 Videos, DVDs
 Alternative therapies
 Appropriate websites
 Healthy aging
 Directories of services
 Medicare and insurance
 Targeted programs
 Caregiving, end-of-life
 Computer training
Trends in Information-seeking Behavior
Ranges from traditional to high-tech
Seniors and Health Information
 Becoming more proactive about their health
 Willing to seek second opinion (which may be
why they are at the library!)
 Becoming more tech-savvy (but not always)
 Some will still prefer print or media resources
 Older seniors more likely to trust doctor’s
advice
Best Starting Places
 NIHSeniorHealth
 nihseniorhealth.gov
 MedlinePlus
 medlineplus.gov
 National Institute on Aging
 nia.nih.gov
NIHSeniorHealth
Designed especially for older adults
nihseniorhealth.gov
MedlinePlus
medlineplus.gov
National Institute on Aging
nia.nih.gov
Benefits and Insurance Programs
 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
 cms.hhs.gov
 GovBenefits
 govbenefits.gov
 Benefits Checkup
 benefitscheckup.org
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services
cms.hhs.gov
Medicare Home Page
Resources for Caregivers
Tools to compare hospitals, nursing homes, and home
health care services; provides help for caregivers.
medicare.gov/caregivers
GovBenefits
govbenefits.gov
Benefits Checkup
benefitscheckup.org
Senior Housing Locator
Program Ideas for Seniors
 Fitness and wellness – pedometers for walking
programs, Tai Chi, chair yoga
 Medicare and insurance benefits talks
 Talks by local healthcare providers, such as “Fit
to a T” osteoporosis awareness sessions
 Nutritious cooking for one or two
 Caregiver workshops
 Computer training especially for seniors
Helping Older Adults Search for Health
Information Online: A Toolkit for Trainers
nihseniorhealth.gov/toolkit
Partnerships Make Sense
 Extend services
 Draw on strengths and assets of partner
 Can achieve more together than alone
 Serve larger audience
Ideas for Partners to Serve Seniors
 Senior centers
 Nearby hospital librarian
 Churches
 HUD Neighborhood Networks
 Community-based organizations
Discussion & Final Thoughts
 Poll: Please describe
either a health-related
program you have held
in your library, or at
least one idea you
might try.
Thank You!
Kelli Ham, Consumer Health Coordinator
[email protected]
NN/LM Pacific Southwest Region
UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library