The Nagi Model Applied for Optimum Aging
What does it mean to be healthy? When health companies focus on “wellness” what are they referring to? It can be any number of aspects of wellness relating to different action goals such as health care and seeing your doctor; physical activity and exercise; good nutrition or weight loss; mind-body, meditation, and spiritual or energy connection; formal or informal education; social connection; emotional health through therapy or counseling; and being a productive employee in the workplace.
Each of these action goals fit into categories or dimensions of wellness: physical, spiritual, intellectual, sociological, emotional, and vocational. Each one is important, and one might be more important than the other to you — especially if you are missing something as a family caregiver, such as something you always enjoyed and haven’t been able to anymore.
As people age through their forties, fifties, and sixties each of these dimensions of wellness diminish and it’s hard to achieve what some call “successful aging.” Partly, because of the accumulation and interaction of aging changes and chronic and acute conditions; and, because we don’t have the time, or maybe our interests change.
When we are seeking to enhance overall health, we need to keep in mind that we do have limitations. It is better to refer to it as “optimal aging” or…
