ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: High rates of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) utilization among older adults are of interest because studies suggest relationships among CAM, self-care, and healthy lifestyle. These potential relationships are of particular interest because of the contribution of self-care in maintaining physical, emotional, and spiritual health as key strategies to successful aging. Naturopathic medicine (NM) is a type of primary care CAM used by older adults, yet little is known about older adults' use of NM or its role in healthy aging. OBJECTIVES: We sought to examine perceptions about, and utilization of, NM and the experience of addressing health and wellness as part of the aging process. DESIGN: Phenomenology-based qualitative inquiry. SETTING: A total of 13 community-based clinics affiliated with a naturopathic medical school. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 47 adults aged 58-100 years. METHODS: Qualitative analysis of semi-structured focus groups with quantitative analysis of clinical administrative data. RESULTS: Over 2543 older adults used NM services affiliated with a natural academic clinic in Seattle in 2011 for diagnoses consistent with primary care: fatigue, anxiety, diabetes, diarrhea, and depression, in rank order. Participants reported they sought NM because it offered a different system of care aligned with their values. Themes included (1) feeling heard, (2) a focus on health education including prevention and self-care, and (3) feeling supported. Themes further distilled into optimal descriptive characteristics of patient-centered providers that may best support older adults' healthy aging. A final theme described barriers to further utilization.