Health needs of older people: a challenge for primary health care.

Abstract

The provision of inclusive health services for older adults requires a holistic approach to the health needs of the ageing population and their social environment, to deliver an effective response. To describe the health needs of older adults and their social environment, as a basis for integration of primary health care services. A non-systematic narrative review of the literature was conducted based on an electronic database covering the period 2019-2023 along with a combination of citation references. Information collection followed the principles of the thematic analysis derived from the qualitative approach. Two groups of health needs for older adults were identified: natural aging processes and disease processes. The social environment for these health needs were conceptualized in three interconnected dimensions: socioeconomic conditions, health services, and place of residence. Understanding the elements underlying the health needs which are determined by contextual conditions, supports strategies to improve services for older adults as part of the primary health care approach.