Envejecimiento Exitoso



Although researchers have operationalized the term in a variety of different ways, “successful aging” remains a value judgment for many. Beliefs of aging individuals about the meaning and relevance of “successful aging” have not been systematically documented. The face validity of the term, and an empirical understanding of its utility and relevance, could be enhanced if beliefs of the lay public were elicited and compared with and incorporated into researchers’ definitions. Asking aging individuals about the meaning and relevance of successful aging should enrich the theoretical definitions that have predominated on this concept that has potentially high relevance to persons of all ages, allowing a more patient-centered definition of successful aging to emerge. A clearer understanding of patients’ beliefs about what constitutes successful aging should enhance providers’ ability to choose from an array of healthcare recommendations those that are most relevant to their individual patients. A patient-centered definition will also be essential for future research in the field of successful aging, for it will allow determination of predictors truly relevant to persons who are aging. An enriched definition should increase our appreciation of a perspective that has not been elicited in work thus far. Such an understanding is critical to effective provider-patient communication and the provision of health care to an increasingly informed older population. Elizabeth A. Phelan, MD, MS Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine Eric B. Larson, MD, MPH Department of Medicine, Division of General Medicine Department of Health Services School of Public Health and Community Medicine University of Washington Seattle, Washington




EnciclopediaRelacionalDinamica: EnvejecimientoExitoso (última edición 2024-07-13 19:57:28 efectuada por MercedesJones)