AN ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF HEALTH AND HEALTH CARE: ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR GERIATRICS AND GERONTOLOGY

Abstract

The problem‐oriented biomedical paradigm that directs health care in most of the Western hemisphere is insufficient for clinical geriatrics and gerontology. A new framework must be constructed that is more optimistic, longitudinal, collaborative, and humane. I describe a goal‐oriented approach that achieves these objectives. This paradigm requires a functional, open‐ended definition of health. The term usual is substituted for normal, and problems are reframed as challenges. Life is viewed as a series of adventures, and illness and death are recognized to be essential features of life. An outline of general health care goals and an example of a goal‐oriented care plan format are provided to guide educators and clinicians who wish to begin to apply the model in their work.