A study of Quality of Life (QOL) in elderly persons with intellectual disabilities : Concept and measurement.

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The purpose of this study was to examine the concept and measurement of Quality of Life (QOL) in elderly persons with intellectual disabilities. Measurement of QOL was attempted using both questionnaires and interviews.QOL has been defined in many ways. Most definitions proposed are similar in that the main components of QOL are both objective and subjective. The former contains observable behaviors such as physical health, mental functioning, participation in social activities, and economic state, while the latter implies evaluations of the objective component. The subjective component is sometimes referred to as life satisfaction, subjective well-being, or happiness. QOL is defined here as the multidimensional integrative index of the arrangement and intervention of an individual's life, measured using both subjective and objective scales. Two types of questionnaires to measure the QOL of adults with intellectual/cognitive disabilities were examined, the QOL.Q and the ComQol. There were minor differences in the QOL definitions between the two instruments, and the methodology and procedures between the instruments were also different. However, the instruments used in this study may need to be refined before further use on Japanese populations.To determine the QOL of some elderly persons with mild intellectual abilities, interviews in an institution were attempted. Semi-structured questions concerning their everyday life and their satisfaction with their life were asked of the participants in a two-step interview procedure. First, participants were interviewed in a group, and next, individually. With minimal assistance, participants could tell their own experiences and then evaluate those experiences. This interview procedure provided useful information about subjective QOL.