Aging and the prudential lifespan account

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Medicine
• Bioethics
• Social Gerontology

Background:

• Aging populations necessitate robust frameworks for healthcare access.
• Ancillary care is crucial for maintaining the health and well-being of older adults.
• Norman Daniels's prudential lifespan account offers a framework for resource allocation over a lifetime.

Purpose of the Study:

• To critically evaluate Norman Daniels's prudential lifespan account concerning the specific needs of older individuals.
• To analyze the foundational concepts of 'normal species functioning' and 'opportunity' within Daniels's theory as applied to aging.
• To explore the implications of this analysis for broader theories of health and health justice that incorporate aging.

Main Methods:

• Philosophical analysis of Norman Daniels's prudential lifespan account.
• Examination of the concepts 'normal species functioning' and 'opportunity' in the context of aging.
• Comparative analysis between Daniels's view of opportunity and the capability approach.

Main Results:

• Daniels's concepts of normal species functioning and opportunity are inadequate to support his lifespan account for older persons.
• The theory faces significant tensions when applied to the realities of aging and the need for ancillary care.
• Daniels's conception of opportunity is found to be irreconcilable with the more adaptable capability approach.

Conclusions:

• The prudential lifespan account, as formulated, does not adequately address the healthcare needs of the aging population.
• The capability approach offers a more promising framework for understanding health and opportunity in later life.
• Future theories of health and health justice must explicitly consider the complexities of extended care and unpaid caregiving for older adults.