The Concept And Measurement Of Quality Of Life In The Frail Elderly

This work presents the first serious attempt to impose rigor on the definition and measurement of quality of life among the elderly. The book uses a conference to develop background but goes well beyond the meeting in terms of depth of reviews of the literature and of integration among the chapters.This book is intended for use by researchers in the many disciplines which focus on the mental and physical well-being of the elderly, including those in medicine, nursing, psychiatry, psychology, rehabilitation, sociology and social work, among others. In addition, this book provides important background information for professionals and policy makers interested in ensuring quality of life in the later years.

It’s a core issue at the heart of elder care: while best-practice data exist for long-term care, quality of life as a concept, measure and standard for care outcomes remains elusive. The result of an ambitious European research initiative, the Care Keys Project addresses quality of life issues among frail, care-dependent seniors, taking their social as well as health needs into account. This resulting volume explains the theory behind Care Keys, its methodology, empirical findings, and practical considerations in promoting effective, efficient elder care aimed at social and emotional well-being and including disabled and cognitively impaired patients.

The renowned Principles and Practice of Geriatric Psychiatry, now in its third edition, addresses the social and biological concepts of geriatric mental health from an international perspective. Featuring contributions by distinguished authors from around the world, the book offers a distinctive angle on issues in this continually developing discipline. Principles and Practice of Geriatric Psychiatry provides a comprehensive review of: geriatric psychiatry spanning both psychiatric and non-psychiatric disorders scientific advances in service development specific clinical dilemmas New chapters on: genetics of aging somatoform disorders epidemiology of substance abuse somatoform disorders care of the dying patient Continuing the practice of earlier editions, the major sections of the book address aging, diagnosis and assessment and clinical conditions, incorporating an engaging discussion on substance abuse and schizophrenic disorders. Shorter sections include the presentation of mental illness in elderly people from different cultures—one of the most popular sections in previous editions. Learning and behavioural studies, as well as models of geriatric psychiatry practice, are covered extensively. This book provides a detailed overview of the entire range of mental illness in old age, presented within an accessible format. Principles and Practice of Geriatric Psychiatry is an essential read for psychiatrists, geriatricians, neurologists and psychologists. It is of particular use for instructors of general psychiatry programs and their residents.

This handbook presents an overview of studies on the relationship of active ageing and quality of life. It addresses the new challenges of ageing from the paradigm of positive ageing (active, healthy and successful) for a better quality of life. It provides theoretical perspectives and empirical studies, including scientific knowledge as well as practical experiences about the good ageing and the quality of later life around the world, in order to respond to the challenges of an aged population. The handbook is structured in 4 sections covering theoretical and conceptual perspectives, social policy issues and research agenda, methods, measurement instrument-scales and evaluations, and lastly application studies including domains and geographical contexts. Chapter 5 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com./div

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

·What is quality of life? ·How should we assess quality of life for older people? ·What are the personal and external influences on quality of life for older people? Quality of Life and Older People provides a critical approach to the conceptualization and measurement of quality of life in social gerontology and health and social care research. The book re-examines what we mean by 'quality of life' in a post-modern world, and examines the impact of continuous personal and social changes on the lives of older people. The book explores ideas about quality of life in social gerontological literature, and describes the experiences of older people through both their own personal accounts and representations in everyday life, popular culture and scientific research. In this way, the book is unique, since it reviews the way that older people talk about their quality of life and how this differs from the ways that younger people, researchers and scientists, policy makers and professionals discuss it. The book draws on a range of behavioural and social science knowledge to present a new way of thinking about and understanding quality of life and older people. While the book provides a critique of existing social science theories underpinning conceptions of quality of life it also addresses operational issues for the use of quality of life in social gerontological research. Quality of Life and Older People is essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in gerontology, medicine, nursing, social work and social sciences. It is also of interest to social gerontologists and health and social care researchers, as well as to those involved in the planning and delivery of services to older adults.

In this timely and important work, expert gerontologists review what has been learned about the aged and the process of aging and link this knowledge to interventions for improving the quality of life. This volume highlights the development of preventive, therapeutic, and rehabilitative interventions designed to assist older people maintain their independence and quality of life. In addition to the editors, chapter authors include Robert N. Butler, Matilda White Riley, Carroll Estes, and a foreword by James O. Mason.