QUALITY-OF-LIFE CARDS - A NOVEL WAY TO MEASURE QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN THEELDERLY

Taking into account the multiple factors/dimensions that contribute to the concept of quality of life (QoL), a pack of cards (80 cards) was developed and validated in 30 elderly patients, fifteen from the conti nuing care setting and fifteen from the day hospital. Twenty of the 80 cards contained words or statements indicating positive or negative a ffect, 20 cards were based on positive or negative life experience and 40 cards dealt with satisfaction or happiness or dissatisfaction or u nhappiness relating to areas of personal or family life. The score obt ained using the QoL cards correlated significantly (r = -0.96, P < 0.0 001) with the score obtained on the delighted-terrible scale and with a result obtained using an analogue scale (r = 0.93, P < 0.0001). Test to retest reliability in 11 patients revealed an 'r' value of 0.99 (P < 0.0001). In addition, high correlations were noted between the tota l score obtained using the 80 QoL cards and the subscale scores for 'a ffect', 'life experience' and 'satisfaction/happiness' in the 30 patie nts studied initially and in the 20 patients studied subsequently.