Quality of life measures for residents of aged care facilities: a literature review

Abstract

AbstractWith increases in life expectancy and concomitant utilisation of residential aged care, there is a need to improve quality of long term care for older people. An essential outcome of such care is optimum quality of life (QoL), but it is difficult to define and measure, particularly within the context of residential aged care. The majority of QoL measures available either do not measure issues relevant to residents of aged care facilities or they measure areas that are not appropriate. Further, an over‐emphasis on health and physical function might produce a more negative picture of quality of life than actually experienced by this group of people. This paper explores available QoL measurement tools and argues for the utilisation of a standard instrument that can adequately measure QoL in residential aged care. Data from such a tool might assist policy makers in their decision‐making, if used on a national basis.