The quality of life and factors associated with it in the medically hospitalised elderly

Abstract

Aim: The present study describes the quality of life (QOL) and explores health-related factors associated with domains of the QOL in the acutely ill and hospitalised elderly.

Method: In all, 484 elderly (65–101 years, 241 men) patients hospitalised in an acute medical unit participated. Their QOL (in its overall and physical, psychological, social and environmental domains) was assessed with the World Health Organisation's WHOQOL-BREF. The QOL was explored with multiple linear regression analysis. Health-related variables controlled for socio-demographic background were the independent variables.

Results: The overall QOL was good in two-thirds of the elderly patients. In multiple linear regression models, lower physical QOL was significantly associated with a number of medications, impaired personal activities of daily living (PADL), impaired cognition, depression and anxiety. Lower psychological QOL was significantly associated with impaired PADL, impaired cognition, depression and anxiety. Lower social QOL was significantly associated with depression and anxiety. Lower environmental QOL was significantly associated with female gender, impaired PADL, depression and anxiety.

Conclusion: Our results indicate that improvement in the medical state, functional status and/or emotional condition of elderly medically hospitalised patients may improve their QOL.

Keywords:

• cognitive function
• activities of daily living
• depressive symptoms
• anxiety symptoms
• Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale
• inpatients

Acknowledgements

The research was funded by the collaboration between the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services and the Innlandet Hospital Trust. The authors would like to thank the research coordinator, geriatric nurse Randi H. Skancke, for important contributions to the data collection, Mc Janne Kutschera Sund for assistance regarding the pharmaceutical data, Dr Hans Cato Guldberg (who has given helpful advice with the manuscript) and the Medical Department whose collaboration made the research possible.