Creating health with chronic illness

Within the current context of health care, health promotion for individuals with chronic illness often reflects the priorities of disease-specific preventive care needs and related physical, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being. This article reports a phenomenological study of how older people with chronic illness experience health and health promotion and illuminates a different perspective of health resources and strategies. The findings have profound implications for nursing practice and theory, suggesting the need for restructuring work assignments and refocusing nursing care more clearly away from the medical model.