Verified Document

Illiteracy The Contribution Of Illiteracy Term Paper

Related Topics:

But much worse than this, these individuals will have an exceptionally difficult time managing their own health. Many of these illiterate individuals avoid doctor's offices because they are intimidated by the seemingly endless paperwork. Rather than take preventative care of their own bodies, they would rather just go to the emergency room as necessary because there someone asks them questions and fills out the forms (Marcus, 2006). Because they may be ashamed to admit they are illiterate, many will hide the fact from their healthcare practitioners, a tendency that could well exasperate their health problems and make it more difficult for them to ever get better. If a doctor isn't aware that his patient is illiterate and simply hands out instructions for how to take certain medications, or passes along some documents that describe the nature of the patient's health condition, the ashamed illiterate may simply pretend to be able to understand this information....

But because he cannot understand it, it will taken home and promptly ignored. If that information contains facts or procedures that are crucial to improving the illiterate's health, they will have no effect. The illiterate individual will soon be back in the hospital because he was unable to understand the information given to him and apply it in a way that would have improved the condition of his own health. Because the elderly in particular are more likely to suffer from problematic health, the issue of illiteracy can actually undermine their chances of maintaining good health throughout old age. The social effects of illiteracy are myriad, but it is important to understand that illiteracy can have immediate and dramatic negative consequences for those individuals who fall into this category.
References

Marcus, E.N. (2006, July 27). The silent epidemic -- the health effects of illiteracy. The New England Journal of…

Sources used in this document:
References

Marcus, E.N. (2006, July 27). The silent epidemic -- the health effects of illiteracy. The New England Journal of Medicine, 355(4), pp. 339-341.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Great Expectations and Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Words: 2572 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

people of different social classes are viewed in each novel, how they treat one another, what assumptions they make about their worth, how they view themselves, and how Dickens's view changed between one novel and the other Both stories, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist, are one of escape for their characters. For Oliver, it is escape form his starvation and bondage. For Pip is it escape from his poverty and

Progress and Impact Assessment Report
Words: 1228 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Progress and Impact Assessment Report The MEDINA project seeks to assist the people of Shibam and Zabid in acquiring new skills that will improve living conditions in a number of areas. Ideally, these skills would initially assist individuals with producing useful services and household items for personal use. However, once these skills have been perfected, they can be used to supply goods and services to the worker's community, and, eventually, a

Royal Highness: As a World-Renowned
Words: 628 Length: 2 Document Type: Article

In fact, 85% of all juveniles referred to and held in the custody of juvenile court system are illiterate. Moreover, the single most accurate predictor of criminal recidivism among the wider (adult) prison population who enter the system illiterate is whether or not those prisoners learned how to read and write during their incarceration. Those who do not are more than three times more likely to re-offend. I am currently

Living in the Middle Ages. What New
Words: 2349 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

living in the Middle Ages. What new things are available for you to experience? The prelude to modernism The history that establishes origin and evolution of the modern society has its basis from the ancient time. Initially, the world and society featured various practices that today we may perceive as being barbaric and outdated. However, it is essential to acknowledge that it is through the various ages of revolution that the

Managing Corporate Social Responsibility ND
Words: 3088 Length: 10 Document Type: Essay

" (Kotler and Lee 2005, p.3). Since this study was published, the contributions have steadily increased making CSR an integral part of every major company today. A report by Price Water Cooper House in 2010 shows that the CSR initiatives and reporting has increased despite the sagging economy and this points to a positive change in the mindset of the management of companies. "PWC explains that such reports have become critical

Ngos & Human Rights in Africa Non-Governmental
Words: 5996 Length: 15 Document Type: Essay

Ngos & Human Rights in Africa Non-governmental organizations have had an unprecedented effect on international human rights in the African system. NGOs have been recognized for their forward thinking ability in improving international human rights in Africa. NGOs participation in the African Human Rights system has been in two ways. The first is through international and government commissions like the OAU, with some having rights to participate in public meetings. This presents

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now