International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

What Defines an Age-Friendly Health System?; Comment on “Developing a Conceptual Framework for an Age-Friendly Health System: A Scoping Review”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Margaret Wallhagen
Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
10.34172/ijhpm.9374
Abstract
To address some of the changing needs of the increasing number of older adults, theories and conceptual frameworks designed to make environments and healthcare settings more welcoming to, and supportive of, older adults, have been proposed. Most recently, significant attention has been given to the concept of an “age-friendly health system.” While the concept of age-friendly environments is not new, how such environments are operationalized varies, few data are available on outcomes, and there remains debate about the essential nature of key components of an age-friendly environment. This commentary discusses the conceptual framework proposed by Karami and colleagues published in the 2023 edition of the International Journal of Health Policy and Management. Questions are raised about the meaning of age-friendly and how it can be integrated into a life-span perspective of health.
Keywords
Health Systems
Life-Span
Healthy Aging
Conceptual Frameworks
Age-Friendly Health Systems
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 14, Issue 1
2025
Pages 1-4

  • Received Date 17 August 2025
  • Revised Date 03 November 2025
  • Accepted Date 17 November 2025
  • First Published Date 29 November 2025
  • Published Date 01 December 2025