Psychological Frailty and Quality of Life of Community Dwelling Older People: a Qualitative Study
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Psychological Frailty and Quality of Life of Community Dwelling Older People: a Qualitative Study Lieve J. Hoeyberghs 1,2 & Jos M. G. A. Schols 3 & Dominique Verté 2 & Nico De Witte 1,2 & D-SCOPE Consortium
Received: 1 October 2018 / Accepted: 21 May 2019/ # The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) and Springer Nature B.V. 2019
Abstract In general, frailty is associated with deficits and adverse health outcomes and a low quality of life. This study was designed to get more insight into older psychologically frail peoples’ Quality of Life (QoL), lived experiences and personal strategies. Data of 121 community dwelling older people, were collected between November 2015 and March 2016, using a multi-actor and mixed-method approach. Of this sample, seven high psychological frail participants who experienced or expected an improvement of their QoL were selected. Psychological frailty was measured by the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument and QoL by using numeric rating scale. For the qualitative study, semi-structured interviews were conducted. The interviews were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological approach. Respondents pointed financial resources, good health, connectedness, and meaningful activities as determinants for their QoL. Strategies to have or maintain a good QoL in later life, when confronted with frailty, were: adequate problem solving, support seeking, cognitive restructuring and religious coping mechanisms. Older people, despite being high psychologically frail, experience or can maintain or improve their QoL. As a consequence, all people involved with psychologically frail older people are encouraged to change their view towards the relationship between frailty and QoL and to focus more on individual’s strengths and abilities. Keywords Psychological frailty . Quality of life . Frail older people . Community dwelling
older people . Qualitative method
* Lieve J. Hoeyberghs [email protected]
1
Faculty of Education, Health and Social Work, University College of Ghent, Keramiekstraat 80, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
2
Department of Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Elsene, Belgium
3
CAPHRI-Department Health Services Research and Department Family Medicine, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD, Maastricht, The Netherlands
L. J. Hoeyberghs et al.
Introduction Declined birth rates and an increased longevity result worldwide in aging populations. Due to the current demographic shift, with an increase of the oldest age group, the discussion focussing on their Quality of Life (QoL) rises. QoL has gained more and more interest during the last decades as it is a dynamic multidimensional concept (Van Hecke et al. 2018) The World Health Organization defines quality of life as: Bindividual’s perception of his or her position in life in the context of the culture and value system where they live, and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns^(The WHOQOL Group 1995, p.3). The question concerning QoL als
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