October is Health Literacy Month. So, this month, we want to educate the Jefferson County community on the importance of health literacy.
Health literacy is defined in two ways, according to the Institute for Healthcare Advancement:
1. Personal health literacy is how well a person can find, understand, and use information and services to make decisions about their own health and the health of others.
2. Organizational health literacy is how well organizations equitably help all people find, understand, and use information and services to make decisions about their own health and others.
Health literacy, in a nutshell, means making sure the community has access to the resources they need to help them be happier and healthier.
We, as an organization, are working on organizational health literacy. One of the first steps is this blog post!
There is an all-encompassing resource directory Jefferson County residents can use. This directory is called ASPEN, and it can be found by typing or copying and pasting the following into your browser: bh.AspenNetworkInc.Org/Public/Resource-Directory
ASPEN is a resource directory that directs users to finding healthcare providers. This tool can be used in many ways. You can input your insurance coverage, as well as your home address. This will help you find providers that are in network with your insurance and also close to home. But, ASPEN doesn't just show you doctors. They also show therapists, food pantries, public transportation options, and more. So, if you are a person in need or know a person in need, check out ASPEN, and hopefully this tool can lead you in the correct direction.
Another tool someone in Jefferson County may want to look into is the protective factors resource list. This list can be found on our website by typing or copying and pasting JeffCoHealth.org/Protective-Factors into your browser. This will take you to a list of resources, sorted into categories. Pick which category you need resources from, and click that button to be led to the list of resources. Each button will give you a list of new resources. So, look it up and explore the pages! You never know when you or a loved one will need a resource from this list.
We hope this post was helpful, and that it helps lead you in the right direction; toward health literacy!