Long‐Term Care Quality‐of‐Life Scale utility in community home care

Abstract

This study aimed to test the utility of the Long-Term Care Quality-of-Life assessment scale within community home care contexts and to compare the scale against the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life scale in terms of reliability and validity. Both scales were administered concurrently to 109 older adults receiving home care. Analysis revealed the Long-Term Care Quality-of-Life scale to have good test-retest reliability, modest but acceptable internal consistency, and pairwise comparison between the Long-Term Care Quality-of-Life and World Health Organization Quality-of-Life scales' scores suggesting moderate-to-strong correlation of criterion validity and comparability between scales. The results showed that the assessment of individual perceptions of life quality within home care contexts can be monitored and recorded, and that Long-Term Care Quality-of-Life scale monitoring in home and residential care can identify opportunities for quality-of-life support and care continuity, even with transitions between care services and systems. The implications of the present study lie in having access to a validated quality-of-life assessment scale that can be used across care contexts to support evidence-based practice, continuity of care, and acknowledgement of individual circumstances in services and care planning. K E Y W O R D S community care, evidence-based practice, home care, long-term care, Long-Term Care Quality-of-Life scale, quality-of-life assessment 1 | INTRODUCTION General awareness of quality of life (QoL), a term first coined in the early 20th century, has been of ongoing interest to service providers, health professionals, patients, and their families since the 1960s (Wood-Dauphinee, 1999). Researchers have refined the concept of QoL and developed theoretical models to explain how individual measures, with methodologic rigor and practical applications, can fit within care services' contexts (Henchoz et al., 2017). Borowiak and Kostka (2004) note that policies and programs are increasingly focused on finding ways to improve life quality, rather than just extending the length of life. The increasing likelihood of an older person moving between services to obtain care and support means that reliable tools need to be available for the consistent assessment of their reactions to their surroundings across all care contexts. Stakeholders also have an interest in ensuring that government-funding subsidies are used appropriately; therefore, most national funding systems include regulatory frameworks that assess clinical care quality, and more recently, report on patient experiences of life quality because of where they are and the services they receive. The Long-Term Care QoL (LTC-QoL) scale was developed, tested, and published to provide a life quality assessment suitable for people

The multi-subject cooperation mechanism of home care for the disabled elderly in Beijing: a qualitative research

“…According to relevant studies, community activities, group participation, and friendship networks are beneficial to the elderly’s health condition [ 47 ]. Therefore, it is recommended that neighborhood committees and other social institutions actively mobilize party members or other volunteers in the community to establish a one-on-one assistance mechanism with the disabled elderly, so as to provide psychological care and support, and assist disabled elderly people to receive medications from hospitals and accompany them to receive medical treatment or other services.…”

“…Therefore, society should promote the concept of respecting and loving the elderly, attract more enterprises to invest in the elderly care services market, establish a comprehensive regulatory system to encourage benign competition and improve the market climate of home care services. In this way, on the one hand, it can meet the demands of the disabled elderly and their families, thus liberating family labor [ 47 ]. On the other hand, a competitive care services market will help companies keep improving and provide better services in home care [ 48 ].…”

The Multi-Subject Cooperation Mechanism of Home Care for the Disabled Elderly in Beijing: A Qualitative Research

“…Therefore, society should promote the concept of respecting and loving the elderly, attracting more enterprises to invest in elderly care services market, establish a comprehensive regulatory system to encourage benign competition and improve market climate of home care services. In this way, on the one hand, it can meet the demands of the disabled elderly and their families, thus liberating family labor [37]; on the other hand, a competitive care services market will help companies keep improving and provide better services in home care[38].…”

Life expectancy, quality of life, and hope among Japanese patients receiving home medical care

“…Providing goal-oriented care aligned with patients' preferences and needs is expected to improve QOL among older patients with terminal cancer and advanced heart failure (10,22). It has also been emphasized as the benchmark for long-term care provided for older patients (3,9,23). However, few studies have examined the association between limited life expectancy, QOL, and hope in diverse populations receiving home medical care (some of whom are expected to have long life expectancies, regardless of severe disabilities, while others have limited life expectancy).…”

“…Therefore, when providing care to these patients, their lives at home should be supported in accordance with their preferences and needs (4, 7, 8). Other priorities include the maintenance of the quality of life (QOL), covering social and role functioning (3, 9), and relieving psychological distress (7). For patients with progressive illnesses, hope is a psychological state considered an inner resource and essential coping strategy for maintaining QOL (10).…”