ABSTRACT
T he ultimate objective in providing services to persons with dementia is life enhancement. Increasingly, researchers and clinicians are using quality of life (QoL) measures as outcome measures across a wide variety of interventions and diseases. The degree to which dementia symptoms infl uence the quality of life of persons with dementia and those in their environments has been the focus of much research in the past 2 decades. This chapter reviews the current thinking about defi nitions of QoL in persons with dementia and about whose perspective is important in assessment and treatment. Considerable diffi culty exists in defi ning a construct like QoL, which has such different meanings to different individuals and groups. QoL has been conceptualized as the modern counterpart to the notion of “the good life” (George & Bearon, 1980). Signifi cant measurement issues also exist when considering elders with degenerative neurological disorders causing cognitive and communicative defi cits that make test administration diffi cult. Suggestions for obtaining valid and reliable measurements will be provided.
