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Quality of Life in the Elderly: a Contribution to its Understanding
Author(s) -
Ferris C.,
Bramston P.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
australian journal on ageing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 34
eISSN - 1741-6612
pISSN - 0726-4240
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-6612.1994.tb01084.x
Subject(s) - quality of life (healthcare) , meaning (existential) , gerontology , psychology , nursing homes , quality (philosophy) , medicine , nursing , psychotherapist , philosophy , epistemology
A review of the research literature reveals that there is extensive interest in the meaning of quality of life of elderly people, particularly those in residential facilities. Determining how best to uphold the quality of life of elderly people is a challenge for practictioner and researcher alike. This study attempts to clarify some of the important quality of life issues by asking a range of elderly people to look closely at aspects of their routines. The responses of those people living in nursing homes, hostels, retirement villages and in the family home were compared and the results indicated that satisfaction with perceived quality of life differed according to where people lived. Where one lives appears to influence not what one regards at most important in life, but rather how satisfied one is with it. Implications are drawn from the data for professionals and researchers working in the field.