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Quality of life in dementia: A comparison of the perceptions of people with dementia and care staff in residential homes

Spector, Aimee; (2004) Quality of life in dementia: A comparison of the perceptions of people with dementia and care staff in residential homes. Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London). Green open access

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Abstract

Quality of Life (QoL) in people with dementia is considered increasingly important, for example to test the effectiveness of interventions. Since QoL is essentially a subjective experience, it is important to know how far proxy ratings compare to self ratings of QoL. This thesis examines the level of similarity between ratings of QoL made by people with dementia and their care staff in residential care homes, person and staff factors which might impact on the discrepancy between ratings, and the relationship between homes in staff factors and resident QoL. 76 dyads of people with dementia and care staff in nine residential homes were recruited. People with dementia were interviewed about their QoL, using the 'Quality of Life - Alzheimer's Disease' (QoL-AD, Logsdon, Gibbons, McCurry and Teri L, 1999) and assessed for severity of cognitive impairment. Staff completed the QoL-AD with respect to a person with dementia, and measures assessing their job satisfaction, level of hope and person- centredness.The results showed that people with dementia and their care staff consistently rated QoL differently, demonstrated through a lack of correlation and a marginally higher mean person-rated QoL score. Some items on the QoL-AD ('physical health', 'family' and 'friends') were rated similarly between the two groups and others significantly differently ('ability to do chores', 'marriage / closest relationship', 'memory' and 'life as a whole'). Neither staff hope, person-centredness or job satisfaction, nor severity of cognitive impairment in people with dementia, were associated with the discrepancy between scores. However, when data was aggregated within residential settings, a correlation between hope in staff and resident QoL emerged. Person-centredness and job satisfaction in staff were not related residents' QoL. This thesis addresses some important issues, such as the complex relationship between staff and residents in care homes and the results have clinical implications, with more effort required into ways of instilling hope into staff who are so often undervalued.

Type: Thesis (Doctoral)
Qualification: D.Clin.Psy
Title: Quality of life in dementia: A comparison of the perceptions of people with dementia and care staff in residential homes
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Language: English
Additional information: Thesis digitised by ProQuest.
Keywords: Psychology; Dementia
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10099197
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