Empowering older women: strategies to enhance their health and health care.

Older persons, especially older women, report that often their needs are not met in health care encounters. Lack of active participation by the patient is a major reason for this dissatisfaction. This article reviews research on older women's socialization that discourages them from challenging the status quo in interactions with others. It suggests ways that health care providers can empower female patients: They can encourage active participation during health care encounters, and they can help patients prepare for encounters so they can have their needs met.