Maria is a 72-year-old woman with anxiety and mild cognitive impairment, which has been previously evaluated and found to be stable. She frequently searches online for information about her anxiety and sleep difficulties. However, Maria’s searches often turn up conflicting advice, and she struggles to remember what her clinicians recommend during visits. Her daughter, who helps manage her care, is not sure where to turn.

Research only matters if it changes how we approach our clinical work. For older adults, the challenge usually isn’t picking the right treatment; it’s building a plan that patients can follow. When plans are unclear or too complex, the result is predictable: underuse of effective treatments, misuse of ineffective or harmful ones, and overuse of interventions that add burden without benefit.

Patients and families want guidance; they want to know what works, what doesn’t, and what to avoid. But the conversation has gotten so cluttered with terms like “translational medicine,” “precision medicine,” and “data-driven care” that somewhere in all that terminology, “best practices” have gotten harder to find (Goldner EM et al, Can J Psychiatry 2014;59(3):160–169). This matters especially for older adults, who are disproportionately targeted by misinformation, dubious treatments, and outright scams.

Older adults face real barriers when trying to find and use health information, including lower digital health literacy and less confidence navigating online resources (Lokker C et al, BMC Geriatr 2021;21(1):665). Cognitive difficulties, self-stigma, and digital anxiety can further hinder digital literacy. Many rely more on family members (or us) to interpret medical advice. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, as trusted guidance often beats online misinformation, but it can also limit independence when support isn’t available.

This article focuses on practical steps you can use during routine visits to make care more usable, helping older adults and their families turn your guidance into action.

Select and tailor information
Simply handing out links to mental health apps or websites rarely changes behavior or improves adherence (Torous J et al, World Psychiatry 2021;20(3):318–335). What works better is recommending one or two high-quality resources that clearly fit the patient’s needs, then checking back on whether they were able to make use of the resources. For more information on overcoming common barriers to care, see our supplement below.

Maria frequently calls her daughter and reads long passages from websites aloud, hoping for help making sense of her options. After an hour or more on the phone, she often calls back, having forgotten what her daughter advised.

Make the plan usable
Simplifying a patient’s care plan reduces medication errors, prevents overuse (which can result from too many simultaneous changes), and supports appropriate use of effective treatments. Documenting the patient’s information preferences can help to bridge gaps as care evolves.

Maria’s chart notes that she is “frequently online and prefers email.” That detail becomes clinically useful when you reinforce recommendations after the visit.

One of the most effective strategies is also one of the simplest: Limit the plan. Older adults with anxiety, depression, or cognitive impairment are easily overwhelmed. At the end of the visit, distill the plan into clear action steps. Write them down in plain language and highlight any medication changes.

For example:

Today’s Plan

• Start sertraline 25 mg each morning
• Reduce lorazepam from 1 mg to 0.75 mg nightly
• Schedule CBT-I intake

Use teach-back to confirm understanding
Rather than asking, “Does that make sense?” ask the patient to explain the plan in their own words.

At Maria’s next visit, you use teach-back and open a reputable CBT-I resource together.

Make the information stick between visits
Reinforce the plan in writing
Have simple, readable handouts ready. Written instructions during appointments improve short-term adherence. Brief reminders through phone calls, emails, texts, or printed after-visit summaries also help anchor decisions when anxiety or confusion resurfaces.

Maria’s daughter now receives a short email summary after appointments. If Maria calls back confused, they review the email together.

Engage caregiver support
Don’t overlook the people around your patient. Caregiver-focused tools, such as home safety guides for dementia, have real outcome data behind them (Gitlin LN et al, JAMA 2010;304(9):983–991). Recruit existing social supports to reduce isolation and strengthen treatment follow-through. Small-group education sessions allow patients and caregivers to learn from one another and reduce isolation. When these groups are clinician-led or built around evidence-based materials, they help families apply care recommendations more consistently, which is often the difference between a good plan and a good outcome.

Maria’s daughter joins a caregiver support group, where she receives both professional guidance and peer support for managing her mother’s panicky phone calls.

Make the tools usable
Walk patients through a recommended resource
Even well-chosen resources won’t help if patients don’t know how to use them. When suggesting digital resources, open them together during the visit, show patients how to navigate them, and explain why the source is trustworthy. Then send a short, tailored set of links afterward through email or the patient portal. For example, resources and tips on practical use, see our supplement below.

Tailor the format to cognitive needs
For patients with cognitive disorders or worsened cognition related to mood or anxiety, use multiple modalities. Visual summaries, brief written instructions, or short videos can reinforce key points. Repeat and group information to limit demands on short-term memory. Avoid overloading visits with too many changes at once.

Carlat Verdict: The challenge isn’t choosing the right treatment, but creating a plan patients can follow. Keep it simple, show patients how to use resources, involve caregivers, and reinforce the plan after the visit.

From the Article:
“Effectively Translating Knowledge Into Practice”
by Kathryn Kieran, MSN, PMHNP-BC
The Carlat Geriatric Psychiatry Report, Volume 5, Number 5&6, July/August/September 2026
www.thecarlatreport.com

From the Article:
“Effectively Translating Knowledge Into Practice”
by Kathryn Kieran, MSN, PMHNP-BC
The Carlat Geriatric Psychiatry Report, Volume 5, Number 5&6, July/August/September 2026
www.thecarlatreport.com