older people’s health issues
Quality of Life in Older People
Introduction
Quality of life is often defined as the degree to which a person is healthy, comfortable, and able to participate in or enjoy life events. As such, it is highly personal. What one person views as quality of life could vary widely with another person's. For many people, quality of life often revolves around health and health care options, so people and their doctors should consider the impact on quality of life when making decisions about medical issues. When discussing quality of life, older people, their caregivers, and their doctors should keep in mind that the best medical decisions vary from person to person and do not depend solely on age. During these discussions, people should avoid language and attitudes that suggest bias against older people (ageism). For example, people should not assume that someone at a particular age should not have certain medical care or not participate in certain activities simply because of their age. Ageism can lead to too much or too little care and negatively affect quality of life. 