[Viewpoints on quality of life : comparison between long term care patients perception about their own quality of life and that of their main caregiver]

Introduction : quality of life (QoL) has become a clinical, ethical, and political challenge in long term care. The literature shows that it is underestimated by professionals, and it is recommended that even in the presence of cognitive impairment, it must be taken into account, promoted and valued. Aim : to describe the QoL as perceived by patients and by their main caregiver and to examine whether there are differences between these two perceptions. Methods : descriptive study and comparisons between patients QoL scores and that of their main caregiver. A paired sample of 26 long term care patients and caregivers answered the QoL_AD questionnaire. Results : patients scored higher than did their caregivers. This is especially true in the aspects of social health and interpersonal relationships in marriage, in families, or regarding the quality of their environment. Discussion and Conclusion : our results are concordant with the literature and show that carers scored patients’ QoL lower than patients did for themselves. This can have an impact on the care priorities and these study results encourage to improve patient centred care.