ABSTRACT
When they were asked to discuss quality of life, many people used the word ‘individual’: quality of life was seen to be an individual thing, individuality was a property that must be respected, and quality of life depended upon individualised care. The tendency to link individuality and quality of life is illustrated in the following extract from the text:
Sister O: Treating people as individuals increases the quality of their lives. Not treating them as individuals and telling them what is happening is detrimental to their quality of life.
