The objectives of this synthesis are to highlight some of the evidence presented by the other articles in this issue and to discuss how this evidence can be used to design policies and deliver health care services which foster seniors' independence within a health reform context. This paper, therefore, first examines health reform and proceeds from there to discuss the key findings of the studies reported in this journal issue. The discussion then focusses on the importance of the evidence presented for policy making, planning and practice within the current context. Each section concludes by identifying the specific gaps in knowledge that require either additional literature reviews or further research.
