Recent Wolfenstein R-parameter data are used to explain and resolve previous problems with optical model descriptions of p- 4He elastic scattering at 500 MeV. An essential component in this optical model analysis is a qualitative interpretation of different features of the elastic data in terms of the Born approximation. First we show that the R-data require the real spin orbit potential to have certain geometrical properties which were missing in previous analyses. We can then show that the fast fall-off of the cross section for small angles, together with the rapid increase and subsequent decrease of the polarization, establishes the need for an attractive tail in the real central potential. Other properties of the potentials can also be inferred from this qualitative analysis in particular a strong reduction of the spin-orbit potential. Our final potential gives a reduction of the χ 2/datapoint by about 20 in comparison to previous potentials, and underlines the usefulness of the qualitative Born analysis.