This article addresses the motivational processes that enable older adults to manage health-related threats and to protect their psychological and physical functioning. Based on the Motivational Theory of Life-Span Development (MTD) [1], we describe how an age- and opportunity-adjusted use of control strategies can support the regulation of important developmental goals across the lifespan. In addition, we apply the premises of the MTD to the management of health threats in later adulthood and review the pertinent empirical literature. Finally, we use the Lines-of-Defense model [2] to show how an orchestrated and strategic use of control strategies can help older adults to manage the experience of progressive health declines and remain engaged in the pursuit of important health goals.

本文探讨了使老年人能够管理与健康相关的威胁并保护其心理和身体功能的动机过程。基于生命周期发展动机理论（MTD）[1]，我们描述了根据年龄和机会调整的控制策略的使用如何支持整个生命周期重要发展目标的调节。此外，我们将 MTD 的前提应用于成年后期健康威胁的管理，并回顾了相关的实证文献。最后，我们使用防线模型 [2] 来展示如何精心策划和战略性地使用控制策略来帮助老年人管理健康状况逐渐恶化的经历，并继续致力于追求重要的健康目标。