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A Comparison of Three Methods of Measuring Dementia-Specific Quality of Life: Perspectives of Residents, Staff, and Observers

Correspondence: Address correspondence to Perry Edelman, PhD, Director of Outcomes Research, Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging, 1603 Orrington Avenue, Suite 1800, Evanston, IL 60201. E-mail: pedelman{at}matherlifeways.com

Purpose: This exploratory study compared three methods of assessing dementia specific quality of life, corresponding to the perspectives of residents, staff members, and trained observers. Design and Methods: We collected data on 172 residents with dementia in four special care nursing facilities and three assisted living facilities. Analyses assessed the relationship of each quality-of-life method or perspective to the others and to resident characteristics such as cognitive and functional status. Results: The relationship of staff quality-of-life measures to resident characteristics varied by care setting while no significant relationships were found for resident quality-of-life measures. Staff and observational measures were moderately correlated in both settings. Moderate correlations of resident measures with staff and observational measures were found in the assisted living sample. Implications: Each perspective is relatively independent and somewhat unique. Measures that focus on specific aspects of quality of life may be more appropriate to use with assisted living residents than with residents of special care facilities.

Key Words: Dementia • Alzheimer's disease • Long-term care • Proxy questionnaires • Direct interviews • Observation

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