title: Seniors connect: a partnership for training between health care and public libraries.
abstract: Kaleida Health Libraries, in partnership with the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, presented "Seniors Connect: A Health Information Project." The program was funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the Kaleida Health Foundation. The purpose of the project was to teach African-American and Hispanic senior citizens or their caregivers residing in the city of Buffalo how to search the Internet to find quality, accurate, understandable health information. Attendees were taught to distinguish quality information from inaccurate, misleading, and fraudulent material. A total of fourteen training sessions were offered. The Seniors Connect program was initiated with health fair at each branch library, conducted by Kaleida Health staff, to provide an opportunity for participants to learn about health care services available in their community; observe demonstrations of health information searches on the Internet; learn about new treatment modalities for diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid abnormalities, and hypertension; and interact with area health care providers and library staff. The sessions were highly rated by attendees and many participants expressed their gratitude for a program geared specifically toward seniors.
authors.affiliation: Kaleida Health, Buffalo General Hospital, 100 High Street, Buffalo, NY 14203. Dschwartz@kaleidahealth.org
authors.forename: Diane G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mosher
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lipkus
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Collins
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education*; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003200:Computer User Training; D005381:Financing, Organized; D005582:Foundations; D006266:Health Education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D020407:Internet; D007990:Libraries / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007992:Libraries, Hospital; D009518:New York; D016730:Program Development