Gilbert Andrew Simon, Batchelor Frances, Devlin Nancy, Dow Briony, Mulhern Brendan, Viney Rosalie, Peasgood Tessa, Engel Lidia
National Ageing Research Institute, Royal Melbourne Hospital, PO Box 2127, Parkville, VIC, 3050, Australia.
Department of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
Patient. 2025 May;18(3):211-223. doi: 10.1007/s40271-025-00729-7. Epub 2025 Feb 3.
There is interest in routinely measuring quality of life (QoL) in aged care homes, evidenced by the Australian Government's implementation of QoL as a mandatory quality indicator. This study explores views of aged care staff, residents, and family members on the benefits, challenges, and feasibility of implementing routine QoL measures.
Qualitative data were gathered to explore staff, resident, and family perspectives on QoL measurement in aged care homes, including purpose, benefits, implementation, and best practice. Two staff workshops were conducted at different aged care homes, and semi-structured interviews were held with 29 proxies (9 family members and 20 staff) and 24 residents. Workshops and interviews were transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed via a qualitative interpretive approach using NVivo software.
Analysis yielded four key themes: (1) benefits of routine QoL measurement; (2) challenges in implementation; (3) best practice for collecting surveys; (4) validity concerns. Identified benefits included potentially improved care, monitoring service performance, and informing family members. Staff participants recommended integrating measures into existing care planning and having oversight from a registered nurse. Participants identified potential implementation challenges, including administrative burden, time and resourcing constraints, conflicts of interest, and resistance from staff, providers, and residents.
This study identifies potential benefits to implementing routine QoL measurement in residential aged care homes. To maximise these benefits, it is important to consider how measurement can be integrated in ways that contribute to existing care planning and practices.
澳大利亚政府将生活质量作为一项强制性质量指标加以实施，这表明人们对在老年护理院中定期测量生活质量（QoL）颇感兴趣。本研究探讨了老年护理工作人员、居民及其家庭成员对于实施常规生活质量测量的益处、挑战和可行性的看法。
收集定性数据，以探究工作人员、居民及其家庭成员对老年护理院中生活质量测量的看法，包括目的、益处、实施情况和最佳实践。在不同的老年护理院举办了两次工作人员研讨会，并对29名代理人（9名家庭成员和20名工作人员）以及24名居民进行了半结构化访谈。研讨会和访谈内容逐字记录，并使用NVivo软件通过定性解释方法进行主题分析。
分析得出四个关键主题：（1）常规生活质量测量的益处；（2）实施过程中的挑战；（3）收集调查问卷的最佳实践；（4）对有效性的担忧。确定的益处包括可能改善护理、监测服务绩效以及为家庭成员提供信息。工作人员参与者建议将测量措施纳入现有的护理计划，并由注册护士进行监督。参与者指出了潜在的实施挑战，包括行政负担、时间和资源限制、利益冲突以及工作人员、提供者和居民的抵触情绪。
本研究确定了在老年护理院中实施常规生活质量测量的潜在益处。为了最大限度地实现这些益处，重要的是要考虑如何以有助于现有护理计划和实践的方式整合测量方法。
