What is Health?

According to the World Health Organization in 1948, health is “as state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” (WHO, 1948) This definition certainly does not capture the thoughts and feelings of the person, nor their ability to cope with their experience.

Considering that self-reported health has been known to be a very reliable predictor of mortality, (author) it would be appropriate that within our Home Care setting, potential clients are screened prior to admission. It is interesting to note that despite calling our department to access various degrees of health care support many of our clients still consider themselves healthy.

I have also seen the flipside of this. A woman in her mid-late 60’s who suffered from an inner ear condition. This woman effectively put herself to bed one day, and never got out. Despite the many offers of treatment, recommendations by health care professionals, family and friends, this woman was experiencing a relatively minor health condition that she was unable to cope with. I still remember this woman’s family standing in her bedroom, wringing their hands, feeling incredibly guilty as the ambulance team lifted her out of the bed after 2 years to transport to the funeral home.

I personally agree that “Health is a state of wellbeing emergent from conducive interactions between individuals' potentials, life's demands, and social and environmental determinants.” (Bircher, 2014)

Using this definition, the acutely ill client, attending our walk-in Home Care clinic for a wound assessment after work, but before their daughter’s soccer practice would still be considered healthy. Also, the woman who was unable to cope and self-manage her very treatable inner ear condition, would not.

References:

Constitution of WHO: principles. (1948, April 28). Retrieved from http://www.who.int/about/mission/en/

Bircher, J., and Kuruvilla, S. (June 19, 2014) Defining health by addressing individual, social, and environmental determinants: New opportunities for health care and public health. Retrieved from, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4119253/