Designing Education That Drives Behavior Change in
Older Adults (Recorded Webinar)
Presented by Jennifer Lucas
This course is a recording of a previously hosted live webinar event. Polling and question submission features are not available for this recording. Format and structure may differ from those of standard Medbridge courses.
Patient education is a core clinical intervention—yet in older adults, it often fails to translate into sustained behavior change. Health literacy limitations, cognitive and sensory changes, generational influences on communication and learning, caregiver dynamics, social determinants of health, and system-level constraints all influence whether education leads to improved outcomes or preventable adverse events. Too often, missed carryover is labeled “non-compliance” rather than examined as an instructional mismatch.
This course addresses the clinical practice gap between delivering information and designing education that produces measurable behavior change in older adults. Participants will examine intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence learning, differentiate health literacy from cognitive impairment, consider how generational experiences may shape communication and learning preferences, and apply principles of adult learning theory and behavior change science to enhance engagement and self-efficacy. Practical strategies for caregiver integration, technology use, and real-world system considerations will be emphasized. This course is designed for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and nursing professionals practicing in adult settings—including outpatient, acute care, home health, and long-term care.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyze factors contributing to ineffective patient education in older adults, including health literacy, ageism, and social determinants of health
- Discriminate between intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence learning and behavior change in older adult patients
- Distinguish between health literacy limitations, cognitive impairment, sensory deficits, and generational influences when designing individualized patient education strategies
- Apply principles of adult learning theory and behavior change science to enhance patient engagement and self-efficacy
- Prepare patient education strategies that incorporate caregiver engagement, technology, and practical system considerations to improve outcomes
Meet your instructor
Jennifer Lucas
Jennifer Lucas, PT, DPT is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy with over 20 years of experience advancing innovative, sustainable approaches to care for older adults. Her career has focused on enhancing patient outcomes through the integration of technology, evidence-based practices, and…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Defining the Problem: Why Education Fails
This chapter examines the clinical practice gap between delivering patient education and designing education that leads to sustained behavior change in older adults. Participants will explore how health literacy, ageism, social determinants of health, generational differences in communication and learning expectations and system-level influences contribute to ineffective education and adverse outcomes. The chapter establishes a professional responsibility framework for rethinking patient education as a core therapeutic intervention.
2. Understanding the Older Adult Learner
This chapter provides a structured framework for assessing intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influence learning in older adults. Participants will differentiate cognitive aging, health literacy limitations, sensory changes, motivational factors, and environmental barriers that affect behavior change. Case-based analysis will illustrate how identifying these variables informs more effective instructional design.
3. Designing Education for Behavior Change
This chapter translates adult learning theory and behavior change science into practical strategies for clinical application. Participants will apply principles such as self-efficacy enhancement, motivational interviewing, teach-back, and structured reinforcement to improve engagement and carryover. Strategies for caregiver integration, technology use, adapting communication and learning approaches to individual and generational preferences, and system-aware implementation will be emphasized to support measurable education outcomes.
4. Question and Answer Session
This chapter is a viewer-submitted question and answer session facilitated by the instructor, Jennifer Lucas.
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