Who is a “Senior”? Looking for a definition in the healthcare system

Abstract

Purpose

Seniors are nowadays at the core of important reflections to understand both how to ensure them a proper quality of life and better recognize their social role, providing them services and proper health care to value them as persons and resources. This paper aims to find a through definition about who is a senior, in the author’s opinion the starting point to help them flourishing.

Design/methodology/approach

As an example of definitions, an online dictionary and two geriatric text-books are quoted, highlighting qualities and rights referred to seniors especially in the delicate context of the health-care system.

Findings

The lack of a commonly shared perspective on this delicate kind of patient entails the difficulty to reach a coherent and satisfying definition about who a senior is.

Originality/value

The lack of a commonly shared definition leads to inevitable misunderstandings and could explain the arduousness of considering seniors in all their aspects. Further investigations are suggested.

Citation

Consolandi, M. (2021), "Who is a “Senior”? Looking for a definition in the healthcare system", Working with Older People, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 230-234. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-06-2021-0027