Introduction

This chapter provides an overview of research funded by the New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) programme on quality of life (QoL) in older age (Bowling, 2009; Bowling and Stenner, 2011; Bowling et al, 2013). The research built on previously funded research from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Growing Older programme (Bowling et al, 2003; Bowling and Gabriel, 2004; Gabriel and Bowling, 2004; Bowling, 2005). A focus on QoL in older age was justified by increasing numbers of older people, including people with possibly higher expectations than previous generations (Bowling et al, 2012). These factors have led to international interest in the enhancement, and measurement, of QoL in older age. Public policy is increasingly concerned with enabling older people to maintain their mobility, independence and active contribution to society, and to respond effectively to the physical, psychological and social challenges of older age – in effect, to add quality to years of life. This reflects a shift of emphasis away from a traditional view of structured dependency, in which the focus of research is on ill health, functional decline and poverty in older age. It moves towards a positive view of old age as a natural component of the life span, and development of personal fulfilment, although this can still be restricted by limited resources, ill health or frailty. It also builds on the model of cognitive efficiency proposed by Baltes and Baltes (1990) and Baltes and colleagues (1996), with its emphasis on control over life, role functioning, cognitive competence, and adaptability to the challenges encountered at older ages, consistent with the current focus on reablement in social care (Francis et al, 2011).

Broader quality of life

Quality of life encompasses how an individual perceives the ‘goodness’ of multiple aspects of their life. The increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice, and inclusion of user-based outcomes in evaluative research, focuses mostly on QoL outcomes. Maintaining people's broader QoL is a potentially important factor in ensuring that they can ‘live well’ and that their care and support up until death meets their needs.