INDIVIDUAL QUALITY-OF-LIFE IN THE HEALTHY ELDERLY

Quality of life research with the elderly has usually focused on the i mpact of decline in function, and used a pre-determined model of quali ty of life in old age. The Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Q uality of Life (SEIQoL) allows individuals to nominate, weigh and asse ss those domains of greatest relevance to their quality of life. The S EIQoL was administered to 56 healthy elderly community residents at ba seline and 12 months later. Quality of life levels were significantly higher at baseline (t = -2.04; p = 0.04) than that of a previously stu died sample of healthy adults below 65 years of age, and did not chang e significantly over the study period. The domains nominated by both s amples as relevant to their quality of life differed notably. Health s tatus was not correlated with the perceived importance of health at ba seline, and showed only a low correlation (r = 0.27) at 12 months. The weight placed on health did not increase over the study period despit e a significant decline in health status. The value of allowing the in dividual to define personal quality of life values in a research conte xt is explored.