Written by Agwalogu Bob
Suppose there is an elderly patient who comes in repeatedly for minor falls. Strangely, all their test results are normal each time. It’s only later that the elephant in the room is addressed. The dim hallway lights at home and the fear of using the bathroom at night had contributed to most of their injuries.
Then there is another senior who shows promising signs of improvement, not after a change in their prescription medicines. What they needed was help with transportation and meal services.
All these scenarios have at least one thing in common, and that is how older adults seldom struggle with a single medical issue. Holistic care is nowhere more important than in geriatrics.
Since physical health, emotional stability, and social support are all connected, it’s important to understand how to deliver holistic care. This article will share four practical ways healthcare professionals can extend holistic care to senior patients.
Assess Comprehensive Patient Needs
How can the care be called holistic if it does not involve a thorough, multidimensional assessment of each senior patient? Besides physical health, healthcare providers must evaluate emotional, social, and environmental factors that influence overall well-being.
When all such needs are identified early, it’s possible to design interventions that are truly patient-centered. A key part of this assessment has to do with understanding VA benefits for seniors.
The Department for Veteran Affairs enables healthcare professionals to connect eligible patients with healthcare programs, mental health support, and community resources. The VA Pension for Senior Veterans provides monthly financial support to low-income wartime veterans who are above 65 years.
It covers daily expenses so seniors can maintain their independence. Awareness of provisions like the one mentioned above ensures that patient care plans address both medical and social determinants of health. On that note, listed below are the steps for a thorough patient assessment:
- A comprehensive health evaluation, which includes reviewing chronic conditions, medication management, and fall risks
- Psychosocial assessments that check emotional health, potential stressors, and social support networks
- Proper documentation that is later integrated into the care plan, ensuring follow-ups and interdisciplinary collaboration
Unless all dimensions of a senior patient’s life are examined, it isn’t possible to develop personalized and sustainable interventions. Then, how will patient satisfaction and long-term outcomes change for the better?
Collaborate With Interdisciplinary Teams
Teamwork is often seen as the cornerstone of a strong organization. The same holds in the case of a healthcare institution, where collaboration has been prevalent since the 1960s. Especially since we are talking about holistic care for senior patients, clinicians who work as part of a coordinated interdisciplinary team enhance patient outcomes.
This happens due to increased patient safety and lower risk of complications/medication errors. Nurses are often the primary communicators in such teams. They help to bridge clinical needs with support across social, functional, and psychosocial areas. That’s a critical role because many senior patients suffer from multiple conditions at once.
In a 2025 observational study conducted on patients over 65 with multimorbidity, it was found that interdisciplinary care programs reduced conventional hospitalizations by 45%. Even emergency visits and outpatient encounter numbers went down compared to the year prior. This means collaboration does have real value.
However, it is important to ensure that collaboration takes place the right way. Key elements of it include:
- Periodic communication through reviews or team huddles that keeps everyone on the same page
- Proper development and updating of a shared care plan to ensure every provider understands the patient’s overall goal
- Role clarity and accountability that reduce the chances of duplication, as well as ensure essential tasks are completed
- Collaborative problem-solving to overcome barriers and prevent challenges from turning into adverse events
Interdisciplinary collaboration may be the only way in many cases to maintain continuity and efficiency in senior care.
Support Mental and Emotional Well-Being
It’s no longer a secret that mental health directly affects physical well-being. Unresolved emotions have their way of accumulating stress in the body. When chronic, the stress translates into inflammation that disrupts normal bodily functions.
In 2024, around 33% of adults between the ages of 50 and 80 years reported feeling lonely sometimes or often in the previous year. Nearly 29% also admitted to feelings of social isolation. The situation was bad enough to affect health outcomes.
Besides being uncomfortable, such feelings are linked to poorer physical health and a higher risk of anxiety/depression. These factors can complicate clinical care if left unaddressed. This means focusing on emotional well-being is crucial to providing comprehensive, patient-centered care for seniors.
So, what can some practical strategies be? They are as follows:
- Make routine mental health screening a must for every senior patient.
- Connect patients with counseling, therapy, or community programs to reduce isolation and increase engagement.
- Encourage participation in group activities, volunteering opportunities, etc., to strengthen social ties.
- Teach patients stress-reduction techniques, including mindfulness, deep breathing, and relaxing exercises that support emotional regulation.
- Practice empathy during communication through active listening and validation to make patients feel heard and respected.
Promote Patient Empowerment and Education
Earlier, there existed a patriarchal doctor-patient relationship, one that has started changing now. Today, there is an equal-level partnership that involves patient autonomy. In other words, patients have started contributing to their care with rich insights, data, preferences, and whatnot.
Is digital health responsible for driving such a promising turn of events? Perhaps, plus, self-management is the cornerstone of holistic care. This doesn’t change just because of a patient’s age. Clinical treatment is essential, but outcomes improve when the senior can understand their own health and participate in care decisions.
As per a 2025 report, 83% of primary care users aged 65 and above with at least one chronic condition reported their social functioning to be good or excellent. This study was conducted across 17 OECD countries, highlighting that most older adults are capable of maintaining active social roles when supported.
Since a considerable minority still struggles, it all boils down to patient education and empowerment. Here are some effective ways in which healthcare professionals can promote both:
- Extend tailored education by personalizing explanations about medications and disease management to each senior’s literacy and preferences.
- Teach concrete skills related to diet adjustments and recognizing early warning signs.
- Point patients towards local programs, workshops, and services that facilitate active engagement.
- Include family members in care discussions (with consent), so they can also support the senior’s daily routine.
- Involve the patient directly in the process of setting health goals and care plans to boost their confidence.
If there was ever a time that demanded holistic care for seniors, it is now. Statista shares that 24% of older adults reported their general health as fair or poor in 2024.
This shows that nearly one in four seniors continues to face major health challenges the further they age. With holistic care measures, nurses and licensed healthcare professionals can enhance quality of life, not just health. Aging was never meant to be reduced to crisis management, and holistic care understands that fully.
Author Bio:
Agwalogu Bob holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and has been crafting high-performance content since 2017.
He has worked with some of the world’s leading content agencies in the UK, Ukraine, India, and Nigeria, producing engaging copy in the SaaS, finance, tech, health and fitness, and lifestyle niches.
When he’s not working on a project, you’ll likely find him trawling the internet for funny memes. You can connect with Bob on LinkedIn or via The List Hub.
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