NIHSeniorHealth.gov
A senior-friendly web site developed
by the National Institute on Aging and
the National Library of Medicine.
How the Partnership Works
 National Institute on Aging (NIA)
 Research on aging
 Cognitive and vision changes
 Age Pages
 National Library of Medicine (NLM)
 Effective information delivery
 Best fit technology
 NIH Institutes
 Subject expertise, consumer brochures
The site’s senior-friendly design
addresses normal, aging-related
changes in cognition including:

Changes in working memory -- the
ability to simultaneously store and
process information
Changes in perceptual speed – the
speed at which you process
information
Changes in Text comprehension

Vision changes


Repetition addresses
changes in working memory
Text conveys
initial
information.
Repetition addresses
changes in working
memory.
Video
reinforces
Text.
Repetition addresses
changes in working
memory:
Quizzes
reinforce
points made
in text.
Repetition addresses
changes in working
memory:
Quiz answer
repeats
original
wording from
text.
Repetition addresses
changes in working
memory:
Content
repeated in
question-answer
format (FAQ).
To address changes in
working memory:
Backward-forward
navigation facilitates
re-reading.
To address changes in
spatial working memory:
Consistent
placement of
chapter and
subchapter
buttons.
Consistent
location of
main menu
button.
Consistent
location of
“next page”
and “previous
page” buttons.
To address changes in
perceptual speed:
Backwardforward
navigation
allows user to
self pace.
To address changes in
text comprehension:
Content
written in
plain
language.
Minimal use
of passive
voice. No
inferences.
Ample white space
directs the focus to
the content and
navigational tools.
To address changes in
text comprehension:
Content
presented
in short,
“chunked”
segments.
Text-relevant
photos aid
comprehension.
To address vision
changes:
Large font.
Large
buttons.
Talking Web.
High contrast.
Larger fonts.
10 Current Topics:





Alzheimer’s Disease
(NIA)
Arthritis (NIAMS)
Balance Problems
(NIDCD)
Breast Cancer (NCI)
Caring for
Someone with
Alzheimer’s
(NIA)





Colorectal Cancer
(NCI)
Exercise for Older
Adults (NIA)
Hearing Loss
(NIDCD)
Lung Cancer (NCI)
Prostate Cancer
(NCI)
Coming soon…..diabetes, vision changes, complementary medicine
Caring for Someone with
Alzheimer’s
Table of Contents
Typical Page
Topics in order of user
preference:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Home Care
Caregiver Support
Residential Care
Safety Issues
FAQ List as it appears on
NIH Senior Health (27 FAQs)
Top FAQs Visited:
1. Who usually cares for people with
Alzheimer’s disease? (#1)
2.. What types of professionals are
available to assist caregivers?
(#2)
3. What kinds of behaviors does a
person with Alzheimer’s exhibit?
(#6)
Top FAQs Visited:
4. What kinds of professional
in-home care is available for
someone with Alzheimer’s? (#4)
Top FAQ’s Visited:
5*) What activities might interest a
person with Alzheimer’s? (#10)
5*) What are some signs of
caregiver stress? (#24)
Top FAQs Visited:
6*). When is the right time to place a person
with Alzheimer’s disease in residential
care? (#26)
6*) How do vision problems affect the
behavior of someone with Alzheimer’s?
(#8)
6*)What kinds of professional in-home care is
available for someone witAlzheimer’s
disease? (#4)
Top FAQs Visited:
7*) How does the time of day affect
the behavior of someone with
Alzheimer’s? (#9)
7*) How can a caregiver create a
safe home environment for
someone with Alzheimer’s? (#5)
How might NIH Senior
Health support caregiving?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Information about caregiving for
caregivers
Training for professional
caregivers
Accessible for individuals with
low literacy
Model for developing other web
sites
NIH Senior Health --
launching with 10 topics this
fall at:
www. nihseniorhealth.gov