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Quality of Life Assessments
for Older Adults and Family Caregivers

The resources on this page focus on QOL assessments for older adults living with frailty, and their family caregivers.

Tools for QOL assessments have been shown to help:

  • Older adults to work with their healthcare providers to live comfortably at home as long as possible.
  • Family members who are coping with the demands of caring for a loved one at home.

Learning Resources for
QOL Assessment User Groups

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader (opens in new tab) to view these resources.

abstract line-art icon of two adults next to home representing older adults and family caregivers

The “Live Your Best Life Possible” (opens in new tab) and the “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Quality of Life Assessments” (opens in new tab) brochures are for older adults or family caregivers.

These resources can help you live your best life possible.

What to Do

  • ANSWER the quality of life questions online each time before you have an appointment with your healthcare provider.
  • ASK your healthcare provider if you can talk about the answers you provided when you are at your appointment.
  • LEARN more by viewing these videos and brochures.

A Better Life–Quality of Life Assessments Video (opens in new tab) (2 mins)



illustration-of-healthcare-providers-doctors-qol-assessment

The “Start the Conversation About Quality of Life Assessments” (opens in new tab) brochure introduces QOL assessments and gives talking points for speaking to both older adults living with frailty, and their family caregivers. The “The Truth About Quality of Life Assessments" (opens in new tab) discusses the myths and facts associated with QOL assessments for older adults and their family caregivers.

Both these resources are designed to help healthcare providers incorporate QOL assessments into their practices and enhance person-centred healthcare decisions.

What to Do

  • INCORPORATE the use of QOL assessments in your practice.
  • ENGAGE both older adults living with frailty and their family caregivers in QOL assessments.
  • USE QOL assessment responses to inform care decisions.

Healthcare Managers and Leaders icon

The “Start the Conversation About Quality of Life Assessments” (opens in new tab) brochure gives talking points for speaking to healthcare leaders and decision makers. The “Making a Difference With Quality of Life Assessments" (opens in new tab) fact sheet offers details and statistics about QOL assessments for older adults living with frailty, and their family caregivers.

Both these resources are designed to help healthcare managers and leaders incorporate QOL assessments into their organisations and/or inform person-centred healthcare decisions.

What to Do

  • START the conversation with other healthcare managers and leaders.
  • ACCESS reports on QOL assessment data.
  • USE QOL assessment reports to inform healthcare decisions.

Government Leaders and Decision Makers icon

The “Fact Sheet About Quality of Life Assessments” and the “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Quality of Life Assessments" (opens in new tab) brochures offer evidence about the value of QOL assessments.

These resources are designed to highlight the value of using QOL assessment data to inform system-wide healthcare decisions for older adults living with frailty, and their family caregivers.

 References / Citations (opens in new tab) (PDF - 14 pgs, 184 KB)

 Environmental Scan Additional Resources (opens in new tab) (PDF - 9 pgs, 512 KB)

 Our Team (opens in new tab) (PDF - 3 pgs, 687 KB)

Our Publications

  •  Publication: Sawatzky, R., Schick-Makaroff, K., Ratner, P. A., Kwon, J.-Y., Whitehurst, D. G. T., Öhlén, J., Maybee, A., Stajduhar, K., Zetes-Zanatta, L., & Cohen, S. R. (2025). Did a digital quality of life (QOL) assessment and practice support system in home health care improve the QOL of older adults living with life-limiting conditions and of their family caregivers? A mixed-methods pragmatic randomized controlled trial. PLoS One, 20(5), e0320306. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320306 (opens in new tab)

  •  Publication: Schick-Makaroff, K., Sawatzky, R., Cuthbertson, L., Öhlén, J., Beemer, A., Duquette, D., Karimi-Dehkordi, M., Stajduhar, K., Suryaprakash, N., Terblanche, L., Wolff, A., Cohen, SR. (2021). Knowledge translation resources to support the use of quality of life assessment tools for the care of older adults living at home and their family caregivers. Quality of Life Research, 31, 1727-1747. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-021-03011-z (opens in new tab)

  •  Publication: Schick-Makaroff, K., Karimi-Dehkordi, M., Cuthbertson, L., Dixon, D., Cohen, S.R., Hilliard, N., Sawatkzy, R. (2020). Using patient- and family-reported outcome and experience measures to inform continuity across transitions of care for frail older adults living at home: A meta-narrative synthesis. The Gerontologist, 2020, 1-16. doi:10.1093/geront/gnz162 (opens in new tab)

  •  Presentation: Sawatzky, R., Schick-Makaroff, K. Supporting quality of life assessments of frail older adults and their family caregivers. (2020, January 22). Canadian Frailty Network (CFN) Webinar. Available from: https://www.cfn-nce.ca/webinar/supporting-quality-of-life-assessments-of-frail-older-adults-and-their-family-caregivers/ (opens in new tab)

  •  Publication: Sawatzky, R., Laforest, E., Schick Makaroff, K., Stajduhar, K., Reimer-Kirkham, S., *Krawczyk, M., Öhlén, J., McLeod, B., Hilliard, N., Tayler, C., Cohen, SR. (2018). Design and introduction of a quality of life assessment and practice support system: Perspectives from palliative care settings. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 2, 36. doi: 10.1186/s41687-018-0065-2 (opens in new tab)