title: Quality of life in dementia care--differences in quality of life measurements performed by residents with dementia and by nursing staff.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Quality of life (QoL) is a major outcome parameter in dementia care. Self-ratings are considered the best way to evaluate QoL, but staff-ratings also provide valid results. In particular, the discrepancies between self-ratings and staff-ratings are underrepresented. The aim was to identify characteristics of people with dementia that improve the probability of completing a self rating QoL instrument on the 'Quality of Life - Alzheimers' Disease' (QoL-AD). Additionally, a level of agreement was set between self-rated and staff-rated QoL-AD and possible influencing factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 in Berlin. Using the instrument QoL-AD, the self- and staff-rated QoL of people with dementia was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  104 residents (73.1% female, mean age: 79.0 years, mean cognitive function (MMSE): 11.5) were included in this research project. 49 (47.1%) residents were able to complete the QoL-AD questionnaire. A predictor to complete the QoL-AD was the MMSE-part 'language'. Residents rated their QoL as significantly higher than the nursing staff did. If the primary nurse rated the QoL, a significantly better agreement was identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study generated new findings concerning a better understanding of QoL measurements. The results suggest the usefulness of performing self-ratings whenever possible. If proxy-ratings have to be used, these should be performed by primary nurses only in order to get reliable results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Sociology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany. graeske@ash-berlin.eu
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gräske
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Adelheid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuhlmey
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wolf-Ostermann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff; D019727:Proxy; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires