It’s likely that you’ve had the experience of being a patient or caring for a loved one who is. Hopefully that healthcare experience was more positive than it was frustrating. Occasionally health care can leave you confused and scratching your head, such as when your physician uses unfamiliar medical jargon or doesn’t quite explain information in a way you can understand.
This underscores the importance of health literacy and taking control of your own medical knowledge.
October is National Health Literacy Month, and the Library District has a variety of resources to assist you in finding ways to improve your overall health knowledge. Our professional library staff can point you in the right direction to find reliable, up-to-date information, research, and definitions.
They can also assist you in using any of our Health & Medicine eResources like Consumer Health Complete, Medline Plus, and the Gale Virtual Reference Library for Medicine.
These digital resources can found online at PoudreLibraries.org and include health and wellness information, drug/medicine records, medical research and clinical trials, diseases and conditions, and more.
And, because health literacy is important to all families in our community, the Spanish-language Medline Español database provides health and wellness information for Spanish speakers.
Upcoming Classes
The Library District also offers educational series that tack healthy living practices. Look for classes in the Senior Solutions series or try out a healthy cooking course. Each month you’ll find useful learning opportunities to improve your health and your health literacy.
Being Mortal Series (Part 1 of 3)
Wednesday, October 11
3:30-5:00PM at Old Town Library
Medicare Planning
Wednesday, October 18
6:30-7:30PM at Harmony Library
Ongoing SummitStone Health Partners Resources
Certified case workers hold free drop-in hours every Monday from 5-7PM at Old Town Library’s Study Room F.
These resource hours are available to anyone interested in information or resource referrals for mental and physical health, specialized women’s services, addiction treatment, and many other health and wellness issues.
Additional Information
Fort Collins and northern Colorado have a variety of community resources to help you improve your health literacy. Check out these organizations online or in person.
Fort Collins Senior Center. Provides classes on important health and wellness topics like aging, nutrition, brain and balance, spirituality, and much more. Some classes have fees.
Health District of Northern Larimer County. Provides dental, mental health, prescription assistance and health promotion services to residents of northern Larimer County.
Larimer County: Health and Environment. Includes information and resources on a wide range of topics include tobacco prevention, clinical services, family planning, immunizations, and more.
Questions? Call our Answer Center, 970-221-6740 or visit any of our library locations.