ABSTRACT
Quality of life of nursing or care home residents is a topic that can rejoice in a growing interest of care home residents themselves, family, nursing home management and politics. Whereas in the past the focus was mainly on providing good quality of care according to measurable indicators, in recent years the focus has shifted to experiencing a good quality of life or well-being of dependent older people. Nevertheless, quality of care still remains an important point of attention. Staff shortages, working conditions and the low priority that is given to long-term care put pressure on the quality of care provided in nursing or care homes. Though, in order for nursing or care home residents to have a good quality of life, an optimal quality of care is also crucial. This chapter looks at the cornerstones of quality of life of nursing home residents: autonomy, participation and human dignity. It will convey how the GAMLEC consortium interprets these core values as design specifications for a serious game for staff, relatives, volunteers and residents. Quality of life, autonomy, participation and human dignity were investigated in four European countries: Germany, Italy, Lithuania and the Netherlands, and summarized in a European Compendium that is the base of the future GAMLEC board game.
