Individual quality of life in the healthy elderly

Abstract

Quality of life research with the elderly has usually focused on the impact of decline in function, and used a pre-determined model of quality of life in old age. The Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life (SEIQoL) allows individuals to nominate, weigh and assess those domains of greatest relevance to their quality of life. The SEIQoL was administered to 56 healthy elderly community residents at baseline and 12 months later. Quality of life levels were significantly higher at baseline (t = -2.04; p = 0.04) than that of a previously studied sample of healthy adults below 65 years of age, and did not change significantly over the study period. The domains nominated by both samples as relevant to their quality of life differed notably. Health status was not correlated with the perceived importance of health at baseline, and showed only a low correlation (r = 0.27) at 12 months. The weight placed on health did not increase over the study period despite a significant decline in health status. The value of allowing the individual to define personal quality of life values in a research context is explored.

Components and determinants of quality of life in community-dwelling older adults

“…In the selection of the independent variables, the main QoL aspects reported by the participants (health, family, and financial status) in this and a previous study by our group (Fernández-Mayoralas et al 2007) were taken into account. These have in good measure coincided with earlier works of QoL in old age (Browne et al 1994;Seymour et al 2008). In addition, we selected sense of coherence and social support variables, all the importance of which is reflected in the literature on the multidimensional concept of QoL (Cummins 1996;Schalock 2004).…”

“…On the other hand, global QoL is a wider and more comprehensive concept defined as a dynamic interaction between the external conditions of the individuals' life and the perceptions they have of these conditions (Browne et al 1994). It is formed by a wide spectrum of life domains (health, family relationships, social support, residential environment, and economic situation, among others) and positive and negative experiences and feelings (Brown et al 2004).…”

“…It is formed by a wide spectrum of life domains (health, family relationships, social support, residential environment, and economic situation, among others) and positive and negative experiences and feelings (Brown et al 2004). In this sense, the importance and usefulness of subjective evaluations of QoL have been widely demonstrated (Borglin et al 2005;Browne et al 1994;Cummins 2005). Specifically, satisfaction scales are extensively used as they represent judgments of an individual's life as a whole or with respect to specific domains (Bowling 2005;Diener 1994).…”

Associations between self-perceived quality of life and socio-demographic, psychosocial, and health variables in a group of elderly

“…As for psychosocial variables, perception of family support 5 , relations with family and friends, social life and leisuretime activities 3 , and positive affects 7 have also been positively related to quality of life. Finally, health variables such as depressive symptoms 8,9,10,11,12,13 and poor self-rated health status 3,7,15 have shown a negative association with quality of life.…”

Individualized measurement of quality of life in older adults: development and pilot testing of a new tool

“…Third, despite a focus on disability and health problems both scales have been developed primarily in and for younger age-cohorts-wording and content of instructions probably do not fit the capacities and situation of old and very old people. At least for the SEIQoL, there is some evidence for validity in healthy older people (Browne et al 1994), but only very weak for those with mild dementia (Coen et al 1993). It seems apt to further simplify and shorten the procedures and supply a specifically age-adequate interpretation of the general individualized approach.…”