A Study of the Quality of Life in Elderly People Using Psychological Testing

Abstract

To study factors which influence the quality of life (QOL) in the elderly, we investigated the relationship between scores on the modified Philadelphia Geriatric Center (JPGC) Morale Scale and various other psychological tests in 51 elderly people residing in a long‐term care facility. The JPGC Morale Scale score correlated with the scores for all sections of the Japanese version of the Cornell Medical Index (JCMI), but not with those for the Mini Mental State Examination, the Kohs block design test, the Bender Gestalt test and the activities of daily living (ADL). Both somatic and psychotic symptoms on the JCMI were correlated with the dementia behaviour disturbance scale score and walking ability according to the ADL. Subjects were further divided into four groups according to Fukamachi's neurotic discriminative diagram based on the JCMI. Scores for most sections of somatic and psychotic symptoms on the JCMI were elevated in proportion to the degree of neurotic tendencies in the elderly. These results indicate that the QOL of the elderly is influenced by subjective symptoms, but not by the degree of cognitive impairment or the ADL.

Philadelphia Geriatric Center morale scale in a Japanese nursing home for the elderly

“…The overall mean PGC morale scale score in the above three reports was 13.5 ( n = 464), being slightly higher than the results of this study. The mean score on the revised PGC morale scale was comparable to the score of 10.0 observed among the Japanese elderly living in a special nursing home, 6 but it was lower than the scores observed among community-dwelling elderly in other reports (in Maeda et al ., 5 Yasunaga et al ., 7 Nagata et al . 8 and Fukuda et al .…”

A Structural Equation Model of the Factors Affecting Morale of a Select Group of Filipino Elderly in a Community Setting

“…Meanwhile, Nagatomo et al (1997) averred that ADL is not associated with morale. Onishi et al (2005), for their part, stated that higher morale is significantly correlated with independence in ADL.…”

“…Currently, the literature on the well-being of elderly people across cultures (Wong, Woo, Hui, & Ho, 2004) has been given considerable attention. Well-being of elderly people has been studied in Umeå (von HeidekenWagert et al, 2005); Japan (Kudo et al, 2007;Nagatomo, Kita, Takigawa, Nomaguchi & Sameshima, 1997); Turkey (Pinar & Oz, 2011); and Hong Kong (Wong et al, 2004;Woo, Ho, & Wong, 2005). However, the well-being of elderly people in the Philippines has not been investigated.…”

“…Because these two cannot easily be reversed (Wong et al, 2004), morale can be an important clinical parameter in the efficacy of health care (Pearlman & Uhlmann, 1988;Nagatomo et al, 1997;Wong et al, 2004). Improvements in morale are frequently sought and interpreted as positive response to interventions (Wenger, 1992;Lee, Lee, Mackenzie, & Ho, 2002).…”

Effect of animal‐assisted interventions on depression, agitation and quality of life in nursing home residents suffering from cognitive impairment or dementia: a cluster randomized controlled trial

“…A recent Norwegian study found a 31% prevalence of depression among recently admitted long-term care patients (Iden et al, 2014). NPS affect patients' quality of life (QoL) (Beerens et al, 2013;Mjørud et al, 2014b), and low QoL is associated with impaired mobility, lack of social activities and low performance in activities relating to daily living (Nagatomo et al, 1997;Barca et al, 2011;Telenius et al, 2013;Mjørud et al, 2014a).…”