[Health and illness in aging. Deficits and perspectives in health care research].

The health condition of the aging and the future development of healthy aging are relevant factors for science, health policy planning and practice. Articulate knowledge about epidemiological developments as well as insight into the health and functioning of older persons are prerequisites to determine the required resources to enable a healthy future of this population group. Demands and supplies should be balanced in the context of the available resources and identified deficits in the existing health services. The availability, the variety and quality of social-, nursing- and medical resources determines to a large extent the conditions and perspectives of an older person in case of chronic illness. These resources also influence the effectiveness or barriers in the prevention of disease and the successful planning of rehabilitation. This article presents a critical analysis of the existing health services resources in the context of an inadequate development of gerontological and nursing science research and research infrastructure. This knowledge is needed to assess the anticipated and identified needs of healthy and diseased older persons. In addition, emerging perspectives are described and required demands stated, which are related, among others to the establishment of research institutions, an increasing transfer from science to clinical practice, the realization of these perspectives in healthy policy planning and consequently the innovation of (professional) practice.