title: Correlates of caregiver-rated quality of life in assisted living: the Maryland Assisted Living study.
abstract: We used a cross-sectional study to examine the correlates of caregiver-rated quality of life (QOL) in 198 randomly selected residents from a stratified random sample of 22 assisted living facilities in central Maryland. We measured QOL by using the Alzheimer's Disease-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire. In general, despite cognitive impairment, residents in assisted living were rated as having a high QOL. In a multivariate regression, we found that nonmood neuropsychiatric symptoms were the strongest correlate of QOL, explaining 37% of the variance. Depressive symptoms, functional dependence, marital status, and cognition also contributed to the model, but only minimally. Because of the strong association of neuropsychiatric symptoms with QOL, special attention should be given to their recognition and amelioration.
authors.affiliation: The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 550 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA. qmiles@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Quincy M
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Samus
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
authors.forename: Chiadi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Onyike
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Alva
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Lawrence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Peter V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Rabins
authors.forename: Constantine G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Lyketsos
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology; D040561:Assisted Living Facilities; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008396:Maryland; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013223:Statistics as Topic