ABSTRACT
Summary. Numbers of elderly are increasing and those over 85 make up the fastest growing group in America. This aging trend is 58predicted to have an impact as great as any economic or social movement in our history. The purpose of this paper is to briefly review health care issues and concerns for elderly; to discuss health care reform; to address strategies for self-health promotion, illness prevention, and optimum adaptation to chronic illness; and to propose individual and family participation in health promotion, based on Olson's (1988) theoretical constructs about family systems, and Orem's (1985) concept of care. The authors believe that individuals and families can play a significant proactive role in resolving the health care crisis.
