Clare Linda, Quinn Catherine, Hoare Zoe, Whitaker Rhiannon, Woods Robert T
School of Psychology, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2AS, UK.
NWORTH, Bangor University, Bangor, UK.
Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2014 Dec 9;12:175. doi: 10.1186/s12955-014-0175-3.
Little is known about the quality of life of people with very severe dementia in long-term care settings, and more information is needed about the properties of quality of life measures aimed at this group. In this study we explored the profiles of quality of life generated through proxy ratings by care staff and family members using the Quality of Life in Late-stage Dementia (QUALID) scale, examined factors associated with these ratings, and further investigated the psychometric properties of the QUALID.
Proxy ratings of quality of life using the QUALID were obtained for 105 residents with very severe dementia, categorised as meeting criteria for Functional Assessment Staging (FAST) stages 6 or 7, from members of care staff (n = 105) and family members (n = 73). A range of resident and staff factors were also assessed.
Care staff and family member ratings were similar but were associated with different factors. Care staff ratings were significantly predicted by resident mood and awareness/responsiveness. Family member ratings were significantly predicted by use of antipsychotic medication. Factor analysis of QUALID scores suggested a two-factor solution for both care staff ratings and family member ratings.
The findings offer novel evidence about predictors of care staff proxy ratings of quality of life and demonstrate that commonly-assessed resident variables explain little of the variability in family members' proxy ratings. The findings provide further information about the psychometric properties of the QUALID, and support the applicability of the QUALID as a means of examining quality of life in very severe dementia.
对于长期护理机构中患有极重度痴呆症患者的生活质量了解甚少，针对该群体的生活质量测量指标的特性还需要更多信息。在本研究中，我们使用晚期痴呆症生活质量（QUALID）量表，探索了护理人员和家庭成员通过代理评分得出的生活质量概况，研究了与这些评分相关的因素，并进一步考察了QUALID的心理测量特性。
从护理人员（n = 105）和家庭成员（n = 73）那里获得了105名患有极重度痴呆症居民的QUALID生活质量代理评分，这些居民被归类为符合功能评估分期（FAST）6期或7期标准。还评估了一系列居民和工作人员因素。
护理人员和家庭成员的评分相似，但与不同因素相关。居民的情绪和意识/反应能力对护理人员的评分有显著预测作用。使用抗精神病药物对家庭成员的评分有显著预测作用。QUALID评分的因素分析表明，护理人员评分和家庭成员评分均采用双因素解决方案。
研究结果为护理人员生活质量代理评分的预测因素提供了新的证据，并表明通常评估的居民变量对家庭成员代理评分的变异性解释很少。研究结果提供了关于QUALID心理测量特性的更多信息，并支持将QUALID作为一种检查极重度痴呆症患者生活质量的方法的适用性。
