Goal Setting for Aging Adults and Care Partners: A Scoping Review

Background and Objectives Evidence demonstrates that goal-setting and care partner support help aging adults improve their health. Less is known about how aging adults and care partners collaboratively participate in goal setting, revealing a potential gap in care delivery processes. The current review describes the scope of the literature on this topic.Research Design and Methods A search was conducted in several relevant databases and 1,231 articles were screened for the following inclusion criteria: (a) participants included aging adults (50+ years) and care partners, (b) goal setting was conducted, and (c) articles were in English.Results Common goals reported by aging adults were independence, improving or maintaining functioning, addressing symptoms, and remaining socially active. Care partners listed similar goals but also identified accessing services and supports as important. The level of care partner involvement varied across articles, with some care partners serving in a supportive role, some setting goals concurrently with the aging adult, and others setting goals on behalf of the aging adult.Discussion and Implications This review revealed concordant and discordant prioritization of goals within dyads. These findings illustrate the importance and potential complexity of including care partners in the goal-setting process. We also found that collaborative goal-setting and care partner-directed goals are scarce, indicating the need for additional work in this area. Collaborative goal setting aligns with person and family-centered care approaches and can contribute to better care plans that meet the needs of aging adults and their care partners.