Congruence between education and reading levels of older persons

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.