The educational levels of 57 middle-aged and elderly persons were
compared with their reading levels as assessed by the Wide Range
Achievement Test-Reading. Participants were recruited from mental health
and community settings in a predominantly black community. Thirty-six
participants (63 percent) were reading at a median of five years below
their educational level. Forms used in the settings were written at a level
above the reading ability of most participants. Results suggest that older
persons may have difficulty comprehending written instructions for
medications and diets and that such materials should be written at lower
than an eighth-grade level.
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