Quality of life assessment: Its integration in rehabilitation care througha model of daily living

To integrate quality of life assessment with rehabilitation care, some corr espondence is required between the concepts of quality of life and of rehab ilitation. A notion of quality of life is presented in which quality is con ceived as degree of goodness, and life as daily living. Rehabilitation is c onsidered both a process of adaptation and assistance to that process. Thes e notions of quality of life and of rehabilitation can together be operatio nalized through a model of daily living. An individual's appraisal of his o wn situation in relation to adaptation can be explained, assuming a hierarc hy of internal standards. Explaining appraisal by others requires external standards. Both types of appraisal are important grounds for decisions rega rding assistance. In addition, general ideas on justification of rehabilita tion as assistance may influence such decisions. The model integrates both objective and subjective appraisal and ideas on justification into rehabili tation, thereby offering opportunities for theoretical underpinning of the practice.