Health Advocacy and Ageing: A Search for Understanding

This paper represents an exploratory study into the conceptual basis of advocacy and its potential value for health and caring professionals working to enhance the well‐being of the aged. The view is offered that advocacy and its related processes are not as clearly understood as perhaps claimed by those who have humanitarian interests and concerns for the aged. An advocacy model is proposed that shows the possibilities for developing community and individual empowerment through health promotion strategies. Empowerment is seen as an important outcome of the advocacy process that benefits the aged and those working to facilitate improvements in quality of life for the aged. Some well known impediments to aged advocacy are discussed, including perspectives on advocacy for physically active lifestyles. The paper concludes with the identification of the major challenges facing communities and individuals with a genuine interest in health advocacy initiatives for the aged.