European perspectives on quality of life in old age.

Abstract

The main purpose of this special section of the European Journal of Ageing is to provide a sample of research that is at the forefront of European work on the quality of life (QoL) of older people. The five articles, from their different perspectives, provide overviews of recent developments in this field from several European countries, addressing and examining the topic at various levels: the micro level of the individual, the meso level of the family and community and the macro level of the society. These issues are of interest not only to European researchers and practitioners, but also to a global audience. The key to these developments on the European scene is the striving of the scientific community for enhanced European collaboration, culminating in the creation of the European Research Area in Ageing (ERA-AGE) and the launch of the European Journal of Ageing in 2004. The special section includes five articles that deal with various aspects of QoL starting with an account of QoL at the macro-level on ‘‘Welfare states and quality of later life: distributions and predictions in a comparative perspective’’ by Andreas Motel-Klingebiel, Laura Romeu Gordo and Jorg Betzin. This is followed by the micro–meso-level with the article by Ruth Katz, which looks at ‘‘Intergenerational family relations and subjective well-being in old age: a cross-national study’’, and the article on ‘‘Older adults loneliness: myths and realities’’ by Pearl Dykstra. The special section is followed by the article on ‘‘Care-related quality of life in old age’’ by Marja Vaarama and concluding this special section with the micro/meso level and the article on: ‘‘The home environment and quality of life-related outcomes in advanced old age: findings of the ENABLE-AGE project’’ by Hans-Werner Wahl, Oliver Schilling, Frank Oswald and Susanne Iwarsson. In this opening article, we will try to outline briefly various approaches to, or models of, QoL, relate to the current state of knowledge of QoL in old age and finally outline priorities for European future research in this field.