Humanistic care and older adults: A concept analysis using the Walker and Avant method

Introduction: Humanistic care is considered one of the central concepts in geriatric nursing; however, the application of this concept in scientific literature is accompanied by multiple definitions, heterogeneous perceptions, and unclear conceptual boundaries. The lack of an analytical and structured definition has made it difficult to design care interventions, professional training, and empirical assessment of this concept. Objective: This study aimed to analyze and clarify the concept of "humanistic care in the older adults " based on the approach of Walker and Avant. Methods Concept analysis was performed using Walker and Avant's eight-step method. A comprehensive search was conducted in Persian (SID, MagIran) and international (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science) databases without time limits until November 2025 with relevant keywords validated with MeSH/Emtree. After systematic screening, 12 relevant studies were included in the final analysis. Findings: Humanistic care in the older adults is a multidimensional, dynamic concept rooted in the philosophy of humanism. Its defining characteristics include respect for the individuality of the elderly, empathy, authentic communication, participation in decision-making, conscious presence of the caregiver, and simultaneous attention to the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions of the older adults life. The antecedents of this concept at the individual, organizational, and structural levels and its consequences at the psychological, physical, and social levels were identified. Conclusion The findings of this analysis provide a clearer conceptual framework of humanistic care in the older adults, which can serve as a basis for developing nursing education, designing care interventions, and constructing valid measurement tools in the field of aging.