| The concept, "Quality
of Life" is being studied by researchers and used by practitioners.
It provides a means to measure how good life is for any one individual
or for groups of people. The concept helps caregivers and individuals
with a developmental disability make choices that favour outcomes
consistent with the desired quality of life.
A number of measures are used in assessing
"Quality of Life". These measures may vary somewhat
according to the "Quality of Life" model being used.
A model that has been developed at the University of Toronto and
applied to seniors, defines seniors "Quality of Life"
in terms of Being, Belonging and Becoming. This model recognizes
that we are in a current state, we are social beings and we will
change during the life process.
| Quality
of Life Model |
| Being |
Physical Being |
| Psychological Being |
| Spiritual Being |
| Belonging |
Physical Belonging |
| Social Belonging |
| Community Belonging |
| Becoming |
Practical Becoming |
| Leisure becoming |
| Growth Becoming |
Gerontology studies the dynamic process of aging. One of
the things gerontology teaches us is that, as we age we become more
uniquely ourselves. Our individual set of experiences shapes
us throughout the life process so that at the age of 55 we are more
different from one another than we were as children. Since
each individual is unique and since life is a dynamic process we
cannot rely on, "Quality of Life" to provide us with some
absolute measure of quality. One's personal quality of economic
well-being or need for social interaction may not be the same as
someone else's. However the Quality of Life model, if
used appropriately, helps us think and plan for quality. Quality
of life, in the words of Dr. Ivan Brown, “is sensitizing…and
instead of talking about disabilities, we talk about challenges,
opportunities and support.
OPADD believes that the Quality of Life Model provides a sound point of reference to plan for the transition to older adulthood and the changes that occur during the aging process. The Quality of Life approach allows us to consider the uniqueness of the whole person and the best possible outcomes.
For more information about the University of Toronto Quality of Life Model: http://www.utoronto.ca/qol/profile/adultVersion.html
To view reports from the “Improving Seniors Quality of Life” Research Project:
http://www.utoronto.ca/seniors/finalReports.htm
“Quality of Life Profile for Adults.” n.pag. Online. Internet. Available February 10, 2007
“Improving Seniors Quality of Life.” n.pag. Online. Internet. Available February 10, 2007
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