Predicting quality of life for older adults

Is it possible to look at someone in middle age and predict the quality of life they will have in older age? According to researchers at two Canadian universities you can and the process they use gives insight into what middle age adults should be doing today to maximize their future quality of life.

This latest study is a "replication" study to validate a model of quality of life generated in an earlier study on a random sample of older adults. The replicated study indicated that the following three factors most directly and positively influenced a person’s quality of life:

1. financial resources,
2. health, and
3. meaning in life

Secondary, yet still relevant, factors included:

4. emotional support, and
5. the physical environment.

From the release:

As previous research has stated, emotional support, companionship and intimacy have been found to have a moderate to strong positive effect upon quality of life and even enhance quality of life over time among cancer patients. Other significant factors include residing in a desirable living space and physical surroundings, and physical environments with few barriers to activity.

If you are wondering what was really learned from this study that would affect the decisions made during one's life, I can think of a few. Most important is the relative high ranking of #3 above, the meaning of life, that ranks above emotional support and physical environment. When I read articles on preparing for retirement, I find comparatiely little coverage of issues relating to developing a sense of purpose compared to other factors. According to this researcher, that's a big mistake.

The same message applies to ageing parents. To really help them maximize their quality of life you spend as much effort on #3 as you do on the other factors. How? One example would be helping them get volunteer positions in areas they are interested. You can also encourage them be involved in their grandchildren's lives (and not just as observers). Purpose and meaning are incredibly personal issues so it's hard to generalize but this added complexity shouldn't dissuade you from addressing it with them.