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Calgary East Zone Newcomers Collaborative (CENC)

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Calgary East Zone Newcomers Collaborative (CENC)

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Because of the ongoing pandemic, CENC has created a rapid response specifically to help newcomers and ethnocultural communities, with all of their ongoing COVID-19 related needs.

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Centre for Newcomers (CFN) is pleased to announce the formation of and participation in the new Calgary East Zone Newcomers Collaborative (CENC). CENC believes a strong community is created through building relationships. As a group we hope to welcome newcomers in East Calgary and support them with all needs through our group's collective free services. The zonal approach, created by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is a community model for inclusion for all newcomers to Calgary.

Because of the ongoing pandemic, CENC has created a rapid response specifically to help our mandated constituents: newcomers and ethnocultural communities, with all of their ongoing COVID-19 related needs.

You don't have to go to work if you're sick. Know your rights, contact us now.

Apply for government Covid-19 relief. There are financial supports available for workers.

You're not alone, everyone is feeling the strain of the pandemic. Reach out now for food relief.

If you or someone you know has tested positive for COVID-19 and you need information and support in your home language, please contact (toll free) the multilingual emergency response centre at 1-833-217-6614. A cultural broker will get in touch with you over the phone to answer your questions and provide referrals in the following languages:

To hear this important message in your own language simply click the box below.

Support for this initiative comes from the Province of Alberta, the City of Calgary and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

"Calgary's community-based organizations are in the best position to reach out to people in their communities and mobilize resources to help those in need. I know these dedicated people are committed to ensuring their communities receive vital supports in these challenging times. Alberta's government is proud to work with these community partners to provide funding to enable this outreach."

Hon. Rajan Sawhney, Minister of Community and Social Services, Province of Alberta

"I am grateful to represent so many hardworking frontline workers who call Northeast Calgary home. We owe these workers a debt of gratitude for all they've done to ensure our city survives these challenging times. The best way for us to show our gratitude is to adhere to public health measures that help reduce the spread, such as wearing a mask in public, physically-distancing, receiving the vaccine once it's available, and avoiding gatherings in the meantime.

If you are able, please shop at local businesses. They need our financial support now more than ever. This has been a difficult year for Calgary, and the City will continue to provide critical community supports as we enter the new year."

Councillor Chahal, City of Calgary

"Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is pleased to support the Calgary East Zone Newcomers Collaborative through our contributions to direct settlement services and the Calgary Local Immigration Partnership. The Calgary Centre for Newcomers has demonstrated leadership in bringing all the key players together within IRCC's new zone framework for ensuring positive outcomes for newcomers. We know that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on our most vulnerable populations, but I am hopeful this initiative will connect newcomers to the right services when they need them most. Together, we will get through this pandemic and come out stronger."

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CALGARY EAST ZONE | Centre for Newcomers

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Centre for Newcomers (CFN) is pleased to announce the formation of and participation in the new Calgary East Zone Newcomers Collaborative (CENC). CENC believes a strong community is created through building relationships. As a group we hope to welcome newcomers in East Calgary and support them with all needs through our group's collective free services.

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Multilingual videos and podcasts designed to educate newcomer communities in Calgary about COVID-19
From the Health and Wellness Team at Alberta International Medical Graduates Association

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Select a category below to review videos created by AIMGA members to help educate newcomer communities about COVID-19. Many languages are available:

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LESLLA: January 2021 Winter Coffee Break - presentation by Monica Leong on the Health Literacy Partnership and Resources

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LESLLA: January 2021 Winter Coffee Break - presentation by Monica Leong on the Health Literacy Partnership and Resources

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This recorded presentation from LESLLA's January 2021 Coffee Break features Monica Leong speaking on Health Literacy (starts 26min into the video)

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Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults

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We enjoyed a much needed break over coffee & tea. In an otherwise busy, stressful time, the LESLLA community took a pause to connect for a warm conversation on a winter day! While there was no formal presentation, leaders from EU Speak told us about their work and provided resources for LESLLA educators.

Resources:

At our second Winter Coffee Break on January 6th, Monica Leong (Calgary, Canada) shared resources for teaching health literacy, and Ginger Kosobucki (Indianapolis, USA) shared a new assessment tool and forthcoming curriculum. All materials from both LESLLA educators and their respective organizations are free to all. Below you'll find links to resources, as well as slides and a recording of the session. We also invite you to contribute to this Padlet to let us know what topics you'd like to see discussed at future coffee breaks.

Resources:

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Webinars and Gatherings - Literacy Education and Second Language Learning for Adults

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We enjoyed a much needed break over coffee & tea. In an otherwise busy, stressful time, the LESLLA community took a pause to connect for a warm conversation on a winter day! While there was no formal presentation, leaders from EU Speak told us about their work and provided resources for LESLLA educators.

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Multilingual healthcare access videos, storybooks from the videos, health passport, teachers' resource book, and more from Calgary Immigrant Women's Association

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Podcast about the Health Literacy Partnership between CIWA and Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic in Calgary 

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Podcast about the Health Literacy Partnership between CIWA and Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic in Calgary 

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Podcast Episode #5 from the Literacy Centre for Expertise at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES), Calgary

https://www.immigrant-education.ca/literacycentre/podcast-2/"

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from Georgia State University

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College of Education & Human Development

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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Videos

If you would like to share any of the videos, visit the link that goes to the YouTube page where the video is. There is a share function there. You can then copy the link to email or share it with your social media feed.

High Interest/Low Literacy Coronavirus Materials

Here is a library of many high interest/low literacy Coronavirus materials. We have included materials up to a 9th-grade reading level.

The directory is categorized into easier to read materials and harder to read materials. We analyzed the materials using VisibleThread Readability software.

Click the blue buttons below for Easier or Harder and then click the titles to view.

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Adult Literacy Coronavirus Resource Links - College of Education & Human Development

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COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Videos If you would like to share any of the videos, visit the link that goes to the YouTube page where the video is. There is a share function there. You can then copy the link to email or share it with your social media feed.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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Easy to Read COVID-19 Safety

Development of these materials was supported by a grant from the CDC Foundation, using funding provided by its donors. The materials were created by the Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation at Georgia Tech. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided subject matter expertise and approved the content. The use of the names of private entities, products, or enterprises is for identification purposes only and does not imply CDC endorsement.

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rideshare taxi limo & other passenger drivers-for-hire

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Easy to Read COVID-19 Safety Development of these materials was supported by a grant from the CDC Foundation, using funding provided by its donors. The materials were created by the Center for Literacy & Disability Studies, Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation at Georgia Tech.

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Key elements in building effective health literacy coalitions

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Key elements in building effective health literacy coalitions

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Handout from Monica Leong & Maricel G. Santos' poster session, LESLLA Pittsburgh 2019

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HANDOUT - Chart with key elements of building a HL coalition-Leong and Santos-LESLLA 2019

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Monica Leong's presentation at LESLLA Pittsburgh, 2019

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Taking Our Seat at the Table: Why the Expertise of LESLLA Educators is Needed in the Health Literacy Field

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Taking Our Seat at the Table: Why the Expertise of LESLLA Educators is Needed in the Health Literacy Field

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Monica Leong & Maricel G. Santos, LESLLA Portland 2017

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The importance of health literacy during a pandemic

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The importance of health literacy during a pandemic

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ABC Life LIteracy Canada blogpost

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The Importance of Health Literacy During a Pandemic l ABC Life Literacy Canada

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With so much information being shared on the internet and on social media, separating fact from fiction can be difficult. The ability to identify and apply helpful information to our daily lives is hard, especially when we don't know what's real and what's fake.

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Only 12 percent of adults in the United States have a high level of health literacy, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. In other words, nearly nine out of 10 adults lack the skills needed to fully manage their health care and prevent disease. These adults are more likely to report their health as poor, and are more likely to lack health insurance. Low literacy has been linked to poor health outcomes, higher rates of hospitalization, less use of preventive services, minimal prescription and care plan adherence, and death. Additionally, these all lead to higher health care costs.
What is health literacy?
Health literacy is the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information to make appropriate health decisions.

With literacy skills developed through basic education and personal experiences, patients can better understand their conditions, provide consent, effectively communicate with their health care providers, and apply health information to different situations. They can read and understand directions on prescription bottles, consent forms, brochures, and appointment information. These basic skills enable patients to apply the major components of health literacy:

print literacy - writing and reading

oral literacy - listening and speaking

numeracy - using and understanding numbers, such as medication doses, calculating premiums, copays, and deductibles

Numerous studies have determined that there is in fact a correlation between low literacy and the overall self-care and health decline of patients.
Here are four facts about individuals with low health literacy:
1.Less Likely to Engage in Health Care
Many health care organizations assume patients understand and can manage their own health care. To achieve optimal health care, patients must engage with their health care. If a patient doesn't have the literacy skills necessary to comprehend basic words, it is unlikely that he or she will be able to engage with their care, which is typically made up of complex directions and complicated terminology.

Engagement is the ability of a patient to play an important role in his or her health care. This is achieved through:

health literacy - the ability to read, understand, and act on health information

shared decision making - the ability to engage with health care professionals and select appropriate treatment and management options

quality improvement - assessing health care processes and outcomes

In addition to low health literacy affecting a patient's own care, it can also affect the care of others. For example, a parent unable to read or understand directions may struggle to determine the necessary dosage of medicine for their child. Likewise, patients of all ages with numerous complex conditions have trouble managing their care or of others in their household due to low health literacy.

Dealing with complicated forms, complex medical verbiage, multiple health care providers, and insurance premiums that can be difficult to understand, individuals with low health literacy face many complications that hinder the progress of their health.

In 2010, three initiatives stressed the consequences of low health literacy: the Affordable Care Act, the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy, and the Plain Writing Act of 2010. The initiatives resulted in the requirement for health care forms and publicly distributed documents to be clearer and more concise.

Another initiative of the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy focuses on two essential principles:

All people have the right to health information that helps them make informed decisions

Health services should be delivered in ways that are easy to understand and that improve health, longevity, and quality of life

Ultimately, access to correct and accurate health information and usable health services needs to be improved for individuals with low health literacy.
2.Prescription Labels Often Misread
As anyone who takes multiple medications knows, taking the right medication at the right time is crucial to treatment and can prevent dangerous outcomes.

More than a third of adults are in the "basic" or "below basic" health literacy groups, which means they are more susceptible to failing to properly read and understand warnings on prescription and over-the-counter medicine labels.

A study on the common causes for misunderstanding prescription drug warning labels (PWLs) among adults with low literacy was conducted at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. Seventy-four patients reading at or below the sixth-grade level and receiving care at the clinic were recruited to participate. After interpreting and commenting on eight commonly used warning labels found on prescription medications, an expert panel reviewed the patients' responses and determined the different levels of interpretation.

Patients with low literacy skills demonstrated a lower rate of correct interpretation of the PWLs than those with higher literacy skills. It was identified that the most common causes of misinterpretation were:

multiple-step instructions

reading level of the text

use of icons

use of color

message clarity

A similar study was conducted by Michael Wolf, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. He concluded that nearly half of the total low-income and low-literate patients examined during the study misinterpreted at least one out of the five average prescription labels they were tested on. Additionally, patients with low literacy made the most mistakes and were unable to understand four out of five of the label instructions.

"Just being able to read the label doesn't mean you'll be able to interpret it. Patients reading at a sixth-grade level or below could read it back. But if you ask them what it means to take two tablets twice daily, only one-third of the patients with limited literacy skills got that correct," Wolf noted.

It is important that our health care system continues efforts to redesign and standardize the text and format of prescription medication labels to reduce the highly dangerous, and even deadly, outcomes for patients.

3.Increased Visits to the Emergency Room

Patients with low health literacy are 2.3 times more likely to visit the emergency room.

In The Association of Health Literacy With Preventable Emergency Department Visits: A Cross-sectional Study, published inAcademic Emergency Medicine, researchers assessed the association between health literacy and emergency department (ED) admissions. It was determined that education is a critical factor in reducing hospital admissions and health care costs.

The study was led by Meenakshi P. Balakrishnan MPH, Ph.D., clinical research manager in the department of emergency medicine at the University of Florida. Balakrishnan and her research team conducted a study of potentially preventable ED visits among adults 18 years and older in an urban community. A total of 1,201 participants were enrolled and 4,444 ED visits were reviewed.

The results of the study indicated that 33 percent of the participants had low health literacy, and 9.5 percent of ED visits were potentially preventable and 61 percent resulted in a hospital admission. Furthermore, patients with low health literacy were 2.3 times more likely to visit the ED.

"Our results suggest that the ED may be an important site to deploy universal literacy-sensitive precautions and to test literacy-sensitive interventions with the goal of reducing the burden of potentially preventable ED visits on patients and the health care system," said Harrison Alter, MD, MS, executive director of the Andrew Levitt Center for Social Emergency Medicine.

Health care professionals need to both recognize and address health literacy related problems in order to prevent avoidable hospital admissions. This means ensuring that patients understand instructions and are able to navigate the health care system.

4.Higher Mortality Rate

Lower health literacy has been associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms, physical limitations, and chronic diseases; specifically heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and asthma.

Individuals with low health literacy have less knowledge about chronic diseases, poorer mental and physical health, limited use of preventive services, and higher rates of hospital admissions. Given the complex nature of managing chronic diseases and age related health decline, low-literate individuals who fall into these categories, especially low literate older adults, are at a much higher risk of death.

A study in England concluded that one in three older adults were unable to understand basic usage instructions on a medicine label. The study was based on the results of 7,857 patients and an in-depth scoring system to determine level of health literacy. Adults with low health literacy, with scores in the lowest 12.5 percent, were more than twice as likely to pass away within five years, and those with moderate health literacy showed an intermediate pattern.

A study led by Pamela N. Peterson, MD, MSPH, of the Denver Health Medical Center, to determine the association between low health literacy and mortality and hospitalization of patients with heart failure concluded that nearly one in five patients with heart failure have low health literacy.
Conclusion
Health care providers are challenged with learning how to best share information with people of varying literacy levels, and to recognize when a patient doesn't understand. Many patients feel pressure to act as if they understand, even when they do not. It is important for health care providers to identify patients who are at high risk for not comprehending the health information they are provided.

The quality of communication between the patient and provider, and materials that are easy to understand, such as forms, prescription labels, and health care instructions, is key. These factors can help increase patient engagement, improve adherence of medicine and care plans, reduce hospital admissions, and ultimately, decrease low literacy related deaths.

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Only 12 percent of adults in the United States have a high level of health literacy, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy. In other words, nearly nine out of 10 adults lack the skills needed to fully manage their health care and prevent disease.

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Background, resources, and links to 3 health literacy coalitions in Chicago, Florida, and Wisconsin, USA.

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from Florida Literacy Coalition

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The constant flow of information in the media about the novel Coronavirus can feel overwhelming. In an effort to minimize anxiety and worry, it is important to provide simple, consistent prevention information. Below are several links to research-based information on how to prevent the virus.

Florida Department of Health
COVID-19 Toolkit

The FDH has developed a toolkit of picture-based prevention materials. Some resources are also available in Creole and Spanish.

Open Toolkit

Adult Learner Classroom
Activities & Resources

Check out FLC's Coronavirus Lesson Plan, which includes several plain language resources and a vocabulary activity.

Open Lesson Plan

Resource Roundup: Helping Adult Learners Identify Key Health & Financial Resources During COVID-19

FLC held a webinar highlighting useful health and financial resources for adult learners trying to navigate both their health and financial needs during this crisis.

Plain Language Information

Stress Management & Mental Health Resources

Virtual Classroom Activities

Family Literacy Resources

Videos

Other Resources

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The constant flow of information in the media about the novel Coronavirus can feel overwhelming. In an effort to minimize anxiety and worry, it is important to provide simple, consistent prevention information. Below are several links to research-based information on how to prevent the virus. The FDH has developed a toolkit of picture-based prevention materials.

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ABC Life Literacy Canada

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Health literacy is defined by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as: the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.

It includes knowing how to describe symptoms, where to find help for health issues, how to understand medical information and how to safely manage the use of medication.

Increasing health literacy is essential to empowering people to manage their health and advocate for their family's and their own wellbeing, as well as reducing the burden on Canada's health care system.

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What is Health Literacy? | abclifeliteracy.ca

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Health literacy is defined by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as: the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain, communicate, process and understand basic health information and services to make appropriate health decisions.

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U.S. based community of practice

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LINCS Community | Adult Education and Literacy | U.S. Department of Education

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The group is a community of practice of where adult educators, adult education program managers, and health educators discuss the instructional and programmatic best practices and issues related to the incorporation of health literacy into adult education programs.

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We are the International Health Literacy Association (IHLA). We are a non-governmental, not-for-profit, member-based organization. IHLA members are passionate about health literacy for all people and societies. We are dedicated to creating an international voice and raising awareness world wide. Together our passion for health literacy can change the world. Join our journey.

The International Health Literacy Association (IHLA) - The international voice for health literacy
IHLA Webinar Series

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We are the International Health Literacy Association (IHLA). We are a non-governmental, not-for-profit, member-based organization. IHLA members are passionate about health literacy for all people and societies. We are dedicated to creating an international voice and raising awareness world wide. Together our passion

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Adult Basic Education and Community Health Center Partnerships Improving the Health of ABE Learners 

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Adult Basic Education and Community Health Center Partnerships Improving the Health of ABE Learners 

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An Open Door Collective Background Paper for ABE Teachers and Directors

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Adult Basic Education and Community Health Center Partnerships

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Special Supplement: Health Literacy and Adult Basic Education

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Special Supplement: Health Literacy and Adult Basic Education

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Maricel G. Santos, EdD and Michael K. Paasche-Orlow, MD, MA, MPH

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Your access to the NCBI website at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov has been temporarily blocked due to a possible misuse/abuse situation involving your site. This is not an indication of a security issue such as a virus or attack.

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Vision for a Health Literate Canada (Summary report)

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Vision for a Health Literate Canada (Summary report)

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Canadian Public Health Association

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Expert Panel on Health Literacy
The Health and Learning Knowledge Centre of the Canadian Council on Learning funded CPHA to establish an Expert Panel on Health Literacy to investigate the current state of health literacy in Canada and generate a report including recommendations on future research, policy and programming initiatives.
Last modified: June 16, 2017

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A Vision for a Health Literate Canada (Summary Report)

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Expert Panel on Health Literacy The Health and Learning Knowledge Centre of the Canadian Council on Learning funded CPHA to establish an Expert Panel on Health Literacy to investigate the current state of health literacy in Canada and generate a report including recommendations on future research, policy and programming initiatives.

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Canadian Public Health Association (2014)

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Examples of Health Literacy in Practice 2014

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Virginia Adult ESOL Health Literacy Toolkit

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Virginia Adult ESOL Health Literacy Toolkit

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Background info and support for starting a health literacy partnership

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Welcome to the Virginia Adult ESOL Health Literacy Toolkit.

Created by a hospital social worker and ESOL educator, this toolkit offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and address the health literacy challenges faced by adult English language learners in U.S. health care.

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Virginia Adult ESOL Health Literacy Toolkit-index

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Created by a hospital social worker and ESOL educator, this toolkit offers explanations, tips, materials, and links to help ESOL teachers and programs better understand and address the health literacy challenges faced by adult English language learners in U.S. health care.