Wellness and Health Promotion

Abstract

As the age demographics in the United States continue to shift, the proportion of the population aged 65 and older increases annually, with a majority of these individuals being community dwellers. There is a need for rehabilitation professionals to recognize the importance of, and the need to focus on, wellness and health promotion in this cohort. This article will compare and contrast the medical-illness care management model versus the wellness-prevention care management model. In addition, several health education theories and clinical tools, which may enable the rehabilitation professional to embrace an expanded view of health promotion and wellness, will be presented so that the identified healthcare needs of older adults can be adequately addressed.