Older Americans Month is each May, an opportunity to promote community services and highlight aging trends. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) chooses an annual theme that best reflects what is important to older adults and the 2026 theme is “Champion Your Health.” This can include advocating for your personal health and increasing your health literacy. Health literacy is the ability to find, understand and use information and services to make informed health-related decisions for yourself and others. Before attending a health care appointment, an individual can take self-assessments to better understand their current conditions to establish a health care plan.

“Part of becoming health literate is understanding your own health,” said Patti Swager, M.Ed, director of the Nevada Geriatric Education Center at the Sanford Center for Aging. “There are some easy-to-do assessments that can be completed at home to test your knowledge, identify potential health concerns, and guide your health decisions and your next health care visit.”

A few easy-to-navigate assessments include:

• Test your health literacy
• Determine your prediabetes risk
• Check your fall risk
• Dementia symptoms checklist
• Dementia screening for caregivers (take this if you are caring for a loved one who may be experiencing cognitive decline)
• Depression self-assessment
• Urinary incontinence assessment

“These screenings don’t replace a physician’s evaluation, but they can help guide your plan of care so you arrive at your appointment informed and prepared,” said Shelby Greene, LCSW, coordinator of clinical social services and part of the Sanford Assessment team.

According to the Nevada Aging and Disability Services Division, the state is experiencing a rapidly growing population of adults aged 60 and older. Yet, the state also has a shortage of health care providers, including geriatricians, physicians with specialized training in the healthcare of older adults. Older adults can take control of their health care by becoming health literate.

The 4Ms framework is a key part of the health journey. It focuses on four components to look at the whole person. The first is to establish what matters most to you so you can make health choices that support your desires. The second stage is to organize the medications you take, including supplements, to better understand what they do and how they interact together. The third step is related to your mind, which includes your memory, mood and sudden changes. Lastly, identify your mobility and determine if you need to increase your movement and ways to do so that reflect your habits and interests. Each medical visit is an opportunity to shape your care plan. Having a grasp on the 4Ms makes you a driver and not just a participant.

“Sometimes it helps to explore the 4Ms with a professional before a primary care visit,” said Greene. “The Sanford Assessment is a free health and wellness assessment for older adults, which includes a geriatric pharmacist and a social worker, and reviews the individuals’ overall health to provide suggestions and resources. It does not replace appointments with a primary care provider, but it enhances them by providing direction.”

Including the 4Ms Framework, self-assessments and visits with the Sanford Assessment team can help you champion your health in a way that makes you an active participant in your care plan.

“Why is becoming health literate important?” asks Swager. “It can keep you out of the hospital due to misunderstanding how to take a medication, save you money by selecting the right healthcare provider and prepare you to ask the right questions and direct your care plan to address what matters to you.”