Abstract
In Taiwan, populations age 65 years and older are increasing. Of those 65 and older, 76.06% have more than one chronic disease. How to promote health has been an important concern for both the chronically ill elderly themselves and health care providers. The purposes of this study were to explore the meaning of health and health promotion practices of Taiwanese elders with chronic illness. A descriptive qualitative study design was used to obtain information from 76 chronically ill Taiwanese elders about their definitions of health and health-promoting practices. Content analysis revealed 3 health definition categories and 15 types of health promotion practices. It is hoped that findings in this study can be used as a basis for successful planning and provision of culturally appropriate health care services for Taiwanese elders with chronic illness.
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