THE QUALITY OF DAILY-LIFE AMONG ELDERLY CARE RECEIVERS

A time-budget interview of caregivers regarding 116 highly impaired el der relatives living in their homes revealed a relatively low level of variety in activities, social context, and environment context. A lar ge proportion of the elders' time was spent in passive activities such as rest (34%), viewing television and listening to radio (21%), and r eceiving assistance from a caregiver (17%). Family and professionals c ould potentially enhance quality of life through better use of televis ion, diversionary activities, social stimulation, and environmental va riety. In-home workers and family caregivers could be trained to provi de such enriching services.