Quality of Life in an Aging Society

December 16, 2002

The AgeLab conducted a one-day symposium on quality of life and the elderly. The objective of this symposium was to develop a research agenda on quality of life for older adults that will contribute to improved understanding and measurement, effective therapeutic interventions in selected areas, and innovative public policy strategies that improve the lives of older adults and caregivers. It addressed three research questions:

What gaps exist in our understanding, assessment and measurement of quality of life in older adults?

How do clinicians translate quality of life measures into effective therapeutic strategies to manage a wide range of conditions, e.g., fatigue, pain, cognitive function, for the older patient with heightened expectations for personal health and independence?

What policy challenges must government address to ensure rapid diffusion of innovation and equitable access to those therapeutic interventions that may improve function, postpone deterioration and premature institutionalization?

Participants

• Harvard Medical School
• Johnson & Johnson
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• University of Alabama, Birmingham Medical School
• University of Southern California
• Yale School of Medicine

Background

There is no single, simple definitions or measures of quality of life. Subjectivity and nuance are essential. In light of the fact that people are living longer, quality of life becomes much more important. It is a valid goal in medicine and in life - Robert Butler, MD, International Longevity Center and Mount Sinai Hospital, New York.

The United States is an aging society. Over the next 20 years the number of adults over 65 will grow to nearly one in five people. However, absolute numbers are only part of the new reality facing health care professionals and policy makers. The next wave of retirees will enjoy more education, greater incomes and generally better health - all contributing to a far greater sense of 'personal health efficacy' than previous generations. Older Baby Boomers aspire to and believe that they can and will achieve a better quality of life in older age than their parents. Raised aspirations, combined with a lifetime of witnessing revolutionary innovations in medical science, will place new and intense demands on health care professionals and public policy to enable optimal health, independence and well-being.

As one researcher has observed, "quality of life is an intensely personal and variable concept." Assessing a patient's quality of life is difficult at best - reconciling subjective data with ambiguous measures of how much is too much or too little to intervene medically is even more problematic. The demands of a growing elderly population, coupled with demand for quality independent living, requires that clinicians and policy makers alike examine our current understanding, tools and policy strategies.

The overall objective of this symposium was to develop a research agenda on quality of life for older adults that will contribute to improved understanding and measurement, effective therapeutic interventions in selected areas, and innovative public policy strategies that improve the lives of older adults and caregivers.