Whose quality of life is it anyway? Why not ask seniors to tell us about it?

Three hundred and thirty-one older adults participated in a study designed to examine their perceptions of what constitutes a reasonable quality of li fe. Participants responded to an open-ended questionnaire in which they wer e asked to state their priorities, preferences, aspirations, and concerns a bout their present and future quality of life. Responses were subjected to a principal components factor analysis which yielded four factors: 1) respo ndents' demands for specific guarantees; 2) respondents' aspirations and ex pectations for future quality of life; 3) fears and anxieties; and 4) exter nal factors presenting a threat to quality of life. These factors accounted for 15 percent, 12 percent, 9.2 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively, of the total variance. Additionally, data obtained from in-depth interviews wi th thirty-seven older adults were analyzed using a qualitative approach. Co ntrary to stereotypic notions that elderly persons are frail, vulnerable, a nd resigned to deteriorating conditions of well-being in late life, the res ults of both the qualitative and quantitative components of the study showe d the majority of respondents as having clear demands for autonomy, control , and independence in making decisions, including the decision to terminate life. Implications are discussed in terms of future research on quality of life of older adults.