This second thematic report on the evaluation of LinkAge Plus (LAP) focuses on how the LAP approach and pilot activities result in a range of benefits for older people. The report's author finds that the LAP approach is contributing to the improvement of older people's quality of life, healthy life expectancy and active participation in society. Initiatives have been developed by the eight pilot sites to promote social inclusion and tackle isolation as well as improving access to services that promote safety and wellbeing. The final reports from the evaluation of LAP will include an examination of the cost effectiveness of the approach.
This second thematic report on the evaluation of LinkAge Plus (LAP) focuses on how the LAP approach and pilot activities result in a range of benefits for older people. The report's author finds that the LAP approach is contributing to the improvement of older people's quality of life, healthy life expectancy and active participation in society. Initiatives have been developed by the eight pilot sites to promote social inclusion and tackle isolation as well as improving access to services that promote safety and wellbeing. The final reports from the evaluation of LAP will include an examination of the cost effectiveness of the approach.
Subject terms:
life expectancy, older people, quality of life, health needs;
Social Science and Medicine, 9(63), November 2006, pp.2367-2380.
Publisher:
Elsevier
Although worse Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) among women has been widely described, it remains unclear whether this is due to differential reporting patterns, or whether there is a real difference in health status. The objective of this study was to evaluate to what extent gender differences in HRQL among the elderly might be explained by differences in performance-based functional capacity and chronic conditions, using the conceptual model of health outcomes as proposed by Wilson and Cleary. Data are from a cross-sectional home survey of 872 surviving individuals from an elderly cohort representative of Barcelona's general population. Complete valid data for these analyses were obtained from 62% of the subjects (n=544). The evaluation included the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), a generic measure of HRQL; three performance-based functional capacity tests (balance, chair-stand, and walking tests); and a standardized list of self-reported chronic conditions. A series of multiple linear regression models were built with the total NHP score as the dependent variable, with gender, socio-demographic information, performance-based functional capacity and chronic conditions included sequentially, as independent variables. Women (65.4%) showed worse results than men on HRQL and functional capacity. Functional capacity, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, and depression were significantly associated to the NHP total score in the final regression model, which explained 42% of the variance. Raw differences by gender in the total NHP score were 11.5 points, but decreased to a non-significant 3.2 points after adjusting for all the other variables. In conclusion, our data suggest that worse reported HRQL in elderly women is mainly due to a higher prevalence of disability and chronic conditions.
Although worse Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL) among women has been widely described, it remains unclear whether this is due to differential reporting patterns, or whether there is a real difference in health status. The objective of this study was to evaluate to what extent gender differences in HRQL among the elderly might be explained by differences in performance-based functional capacity and chronic conditions, using the conceptual model of health outcomes as proposed by Wilson and Cleary. Data are from a cross-sectional home survey of 872 surviving individuals from an elderly cohort representative of Barcelona's general population. Complete valid data for these analyses were obtained from 62% of the subjects (n=544). The evaluation included the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), a generic measure of HRQL; three performance-based functional capacity tests (balance, chair-stand, and walking tests); and a standardized list of self-reported chronic conditions. A series of multiple linear regression models were built with the total NHP score as the dependent variable, with gender, socio-demographic information, performance-based functional capacity and chronic conditions included sequentially, as independent variables. Women (65.4%) showed worse results than men on HRQL and functional capacity. Functional capacity, arthritis, back pain, diabetes, and depression were significantly associated to the NHP total score in the final regression model, which explained 42% of the variance. Raw differences by gender in the total NHP score were 11.5 points, but decreased to a non-significant 3.2 points after adjusting for all the other variables. In conclusion, our data suggest that worse reported HRQL in elderly women is mainly due to a higher prevalence of disability and chronic conditions.
Subject terms:
long term conditions, older people, quality of life, gender, health needs;
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(9), September 2006, pp.883-889.
Publisher:
Wiley
With an increasing life expectancy, there is a rapidly growing sector that is aging. Depression is the most prevalent functional mental disorder of older population. It is estimated that about 21% of the older population in Shanghai are suffering from depression. This study investigated the self-rated health related quality of life of community-dwelling older people diagnosed with depression in Shanghai, and to examine the relationships between this and mental and physical health, functional status and social support. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two community centres with a convenience sample of 71 participants. Measures included subjective perception of health related quality of life, level of depression, cognitive function, number of medical conditions, activities of daily living, functional abilities, and social support. The majority of the participants were female (n = 52, 73.23%), and married (n = 51, 71.8%). A higher level of depression was related to a poorer health related quality of life. Participants were least satisfied with their physical health. The level of depression, activities of daily living and satisfaction with social support were predictors of health related quality of life ratings. The study identified how depression affects the bio-psychosocial status of Chinese older people. Findings are discussed in light of the socio-cultural environment in Shanghai.
With an increasing life expectancy, there is a rapidly growing sector that is aging. Depression is the most prevalent functional mental disorder of older population. It is estimated that about 21% of the older population in Shanghai are suffering from depression. This study investigated the self-rated health related quality of life of community-dwelling older people diagnosed with depression in Shanghai, and to examine the relationships between this and mental and physical health, functional status and social support. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in two community centres with a convenience sample of 71 participants. Measures included subjective perception of health related quality of life, level of depression, cognitive function, number of medical conditions, activities of daily living, functional abilities, and social support. The majority of the participants were female (n = 52, 73.23%), and married (n = 51, 71.8%). A higher level of depression was related to a poorer health related quality of life. Participants were least satisfied with their physical health. The level of depression, activities of daily living and satisfaction with social support were predictors of health related quality of life ratings. The study identified how depression affects the bio-psychosocial status of Chinese older people. Findings are discussed in light of the socio-cultural environment in Shanghai.
Subject terms:
older people, quality of life, Chinese people, depression, health needs;
University of Sheffield. Department of Sociological Studies. ESRC Growing Older
Publication year:
2001
Pagination:
24p.
Place of publication:
Sheffield
Contains abstracts of papers cited. Part of the Growing Older Programme Occasional Paper series.
Contains abstracts of papers cited. Part of the Growing Older Programme Occasional Paper series.
Extended abstract:
Author
MARTIMO Kristiina;
Title
Quality of life: an annotated bibliography. Publisher
University of Sheffield. Department of Sociological Studies. ESRC Growing Older Programme, 2001. Series
Summary
This bibliography contains key references on quality of life and quality of life in old age.
Context
The rising numbers of older people, the ‘baby boomers’, are and ideal generation on which to base research aimed at gaining a comprehensive understanding of the views of older people about the conditions which can achieve a good quality of life in later years. If social science researchers were able to agree on theoretical principles which could be used to build a multi-dimensional measure including all major components of quality of life, such an instrument would make comparative and longitudinal studies possible and the data from all these studies would be compatible, which would give us large amounts of interesting information on what constitutes good quality of life for older people and help to guide social policy decisions towards improving the quality of everyone’s old age.
Method
Contents
The bibliography does not pretend to be exhaustive but tries to provide an introduction to some of the literature most relevant to the Growing Older Programme. The articles result from searches on quality of life, life satisfaction, well-being and quality of life of older people. They are organised according to themes, beginning with a look back at the origins of the concept of quality of life, through economic and social indicators and the problems of implementing these in social policy. Next there are comparative approaches, examining the definition of basic need difficulties in finding common ground in what counts as universal well-being, wider issues concerning human development and differences in individualist and collectivist societies. Then comes a look at the varied ways of measuring quality of life with subjective and objective indicators, defining the levels of domains under which quality of life would be impossible and the difficulties facing policy makers in trying to influence the quality of people’s lives. The next section turns to health status evaluation and the many interpretations of quality of life as a measurable concept. Then comes how quality of life of older people has influenced social gerontology and the need to develop a measure which would make it possible to compare older people’s quality of life in similar and different settings., followed by a look at Hughes’ quality of life model and the multi-domain continuum through social indicators of well-being and enhancing the quality of extended life years. The next section looks at the critique of quality of life scales for older people by Gubrium and Lynott, who argue that the image of the life satisfaction of older people influences its measurement, compared with the real satisfactions and experiences of their everyday lives. The final section looks at age and happiness, starting with definitions of successful ageing, looking at intimacy as a critical variable, activity theory of ageing, happiness and social participation, chronological age and its effect on well-being and the positive and negative affect by age. All entries have abstracts.
Subject terms:
literature reviews, models, older people, quality of life, health needs;
This article reviews the scientific literature on the enhancement of healthy ageing in older adults through active participation in the arts. Methodologies and conclusions are described for studies of dance, expressive writing, music (singing and instrumental), theatre arts, and visual arts including documentation of mental/physical improvements in memory, creativity, problem solving, everyday competence, reaction time, balance/gait, and quality of life. In addition to these gains in measures of successful ageing, the article also provides (in a Supplementary Appendix) some selected examples of arts engagement for remedial purposes. Finally, it offers suggestions for expanding inquiry into this under investigated corner of ageing research.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This article reviews the scientific literature on the enhancement of healthy ageing in older adults through active participation in the arts. Methodologies and conclusions are described for studies of dance, expressive writing, music (singing and instrumental), theatre arts, and visual arts including documentation of mental/physical improvements in memory, creativity, problem solving, everyday competence, reaction time, balance/gait, and quality of life. In addition to these gains in measures of successful ageing, the article also provides (in a Supplementary Appendix) some selected examples of arts engagement for remedial purposes. Finally, it offers suggestions for expanding inquiry into this under investigated corner of ageing research.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
arts, older people, literature reviews, ageing, participation, health needs, quality of life;
This research has been undertaken in collaboration with NatCen, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The research uses the 'English Longitudinal Study of Ageing' to explore the lives of different groups of older carers in relation to multiple factors such as health, income and quality of life. The key findings of the research include: Older carers providing 'heavy' care show a markedly lower quality of life compared to equivalent non-carers. More than any other characteristic, including general health and experience of pain, it is the memory functioning of individuals receiving care that has the biggest influence on the quality of life of older carers. To accompany the research, the ILC-UK has simultaneously published a discussion paper, 'Living and Caring for All', which relates the finding of the research to strategic questions for public policy around the demand and supply of social care in society.
This research has been undertaken in collaboration with NatCen, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The research uses the 'English Longitudinal Study of Ageing' to explore the lives of different groups of older carers in relation to multiple factors such as health, income and quality of life. The key findings of the research include: Older carers providing 'heavy' care show a markedly lower quality of life compared to equivalent non-carers. More than any other characteristic, including general health and experience of pain, it is the memory functioning of individuals receiving care that has the biggest influence on the quality of life of older carers. To accompany the research, the ILC-UK has simultaneously published a discussion paper, 'Living and Caring for All', which relates the finding of the research to strategic questions for public policy around the demand and supply of social care in society.
Subject terms:
income, longitudinal studies, older people, quality of life, ageing, carers, health needs;
Aging and Mental Health, 10(6), November 2006, pp.599-605.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
This study investigated the association between improvement in depressive symptoms and changes in self-rated health among community-dwelling disabled older adults over time. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied using the 1993 and 1995 Assets and Health Dynamics among the Oldest-Old Survey data. Changes in depressive symptoms and changes in self-rated health clearly coincide. Among participants with functional disability in 1993 and 1995, a decrease in depressive symptoms was associated with decreased odds of having decline in self-rated health (odds ratio [OR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78–0.93) and was associated with increased odds of having improvement in self-rated health (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04–1.27). Similar results were also found among participants with no functional disability in 1993 and with functional disability in 1995. Among community-dwelling older adults who remained disabled at follow-up or who experienced disability only at follow-up, even just a small decrease in depressive symptoms was associated with increased odds of having improvement in self-rated health and with decreased risks of having decline in self-rated health. Reducing the number of symptoms of depression among these disabled older adults would be beneficial in improving their self-rated health as well as maintaining and promoting their quality of life.
This study investigated the association between improvement in depressive symptoms and changes in self-rated health among community-dwelling disabled older adults over time. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied using the 1993 and 1995 Assets and Health Dynamics among the Oldest-Old Survey data. Changes in depressive symptoms and changes in self-rated health clearly coincide. Among participants with functional disability in 1993 and 1995, a decrease in depressive symptoms was associated with decreased odds of having decline in self-rated health (odds ratio [OR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.78–0.93) and was associated with increased odds of having improvement in self-rated health (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.04–1.27). Similar results were also found among participants with no functional disability in 1993 and with functional disability in 1995. Among community-dwelling older adults who remained disabled at follow-up or who experienced disability only at follow-up, even just a small decrease in depressive symptoms was associated with increased odds of having improvement in self-rated health and with decreased risks of having decline in self-rated health. Reducing the number of symptoms of depression among these disabled older adults would be beneficial in improving their self-rated health as well as maintaining and promoting their quality of life.
Subject terms:
older people, quality of life, adults, community care, depression, disabilities, health needs;
In an ageing world, illnesses that are prevalent and cause significant morbidity and mortality in older people will consume an increasing share of health care resources. One such illness is depression. This illness has a particularly devastating impact in the elderly because it is often undiagnosed or inadequately treated. Depression not only has a profound impact on quality of life but it is associated with an increased risk of mortality from suicide and vascular disease. In fact for every medical illness studied, e.g. heart disease, diabetes, cancer, individuals who are depressed have a worse prognosis. Research has illuminated the physiological and behavioural effects of depression that accounts for these poor outcomes. The deleterious relationship between depression and other illnesses has changed the concept of late-life depression from a "psychiatric disorder" that is diagnosed and treated by a psychiatrist to a common and serious disorder that is the responsibility of all physicians who care for patients over the age of 60.This volumeis devoted to the epidemiology, phenomenology, psychobiology, treatment and consequences of late-life depression. Although much has been written about depressive disorders, the focus has been primarily on the illness as experienced in younger adults. The effects of ageing on the brain, the physiological and behavioural consequences of recurrent depression, and the impact of other diseases common in the elderly, make late-life depression a distinct entity. There is a compelling need for a separate research program, specialized treatments, and a book dedicated to this disorder.
In an ageing world, illnesses that are prevalent and cause significant morbidity and mortality in older people will consume an increasing share of health care resources. One such illness is depression. This illness has a particularly devastating impact in the elderly because it is often undiagnosed or inadequately treated. Depression not only has a profound impact on quality of life but it is associated with an increased risk of mortality from suicide and vascular disease. In fact for every medical illness studied, e.g. heart disease, diabetes, cancer, individuals who are depressed have a worse prognosis. Research has illuminated the physiological and behavioural effects of depression that accounts for these poor outcomes. The deleterious relationship between depression and other illnesses has changed the concept of late-life depression from a "psychiatric disorder" that is diagnosed and treated by a psychiatrist to a common and serious disorder that is the responsibility of all physicians who care for patients over the age of 60.This volumeis devoted to the epidemiology, phenomenology, psychobiology, treatment and consequences of late-life depression. Although much has been written about depressive disorders, the focus has been primarily on the illness as experienced in younger adults. The effects of ageing on the brain, the physiological and behavioural consequences of recurrent depression, and the impact of other diseases common in the elderly, make late-life depression a distinct entity. There is a compelling need for a separate research program, specialized treatments, and a book dedicated to this disorder.
Subject terms:
older people, quality of life, cancer, depression, diabetes, health needs, heart diseases;
This easy read booklet about growing older by people with learning disabilities can be used with individuals or groups and enhanced with other activities.
This easy read booklet about growing older by people with learning disabilities can be used with individuals or groups and enhanced with other activities.
Subject terms:
learning disabilities, older people, quality of life, ageing, groupwork, health needs;
University of East Anglia. School of Social Work and Psychosocial Studies
Publication year:
2004
Pagination:
50p.
Place of publication:
Norwich
The concept of quality of life has received considerable attention as an inclusive notion of health and as a basis for health interventions. This conjunction is particularly relevant to the study of quality of life of older people. This report summarises what it means to be old, how self esteem can be restored after serious illness and how inherent coping processes can be mobilised.
The concept of quality of life has received considerable attention as an inclusive notion of health and as a basis for health interventions. This conjunction is particularly relevant to the study of quality of life of older people. This report summarises what it means to be old, how self esteem can be restored after serious illness and how inherent coping processes can be mobilised.
Subject terms:
older people, quality of life, resilience, self-esteem, ageing, empowerment, health needs;