Quality of Life of Older People with Dementia in Thailand

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) of older people with dementia may depend on their care environment. This cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to investigate QOL of Thai older people with dementia in the homes for the aged and those living at their own home in the community, as well as the discrepancy of QOL rated by the older people and by caregivers. The sample included 342 participants who met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected using the Quality of Life-Alzheimer’s Disease Scale and the EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire Thai Version Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test, and Pearson’s correlation. The findings revealed that overall QOL score of participants in both groups were at moderate level. Compared with participants in the homes for the aged, those living in the community showed higher score in seven aspects of QOL and lower score in two aspects. Self-rated and caregiver-rated QOL was not significantly different. The findings imply that health care professionals can assess QOL of older people with dementia through self-rating. Further research to find the effective method for enhancing the older people’s QOL is needed.

Keywords

• Dementia
• quality of life
• older people
• homes for the aged
• caregiver-rated QOL