Abstract
Aim: For the elderly with reduced life function, it is desired to maintain the quality of life (QOL) and well-being as possible as they can. In this study, we aimed to elucidate QOL and well-being status of the elderly who needed home visits by physicians and their caregivers, and to examine the factors related to them. Methods: We registered the elderly patients living in the community who needed home visits by physicians in Kashiwa-city, Chiba, Japan. We conducted a questionnaire survey of them and their caregivers. The survey items were ESAS-r-J, EQ-5D-5L-J, WHO-5-J, SDM-Q-9-J for the elderly patients, EQ-5D-5L-J, WHO-5-J, SDM-Q-9-J and J-ZBI_8 for the caregivers. Results: We got answers from sixty elderly patients and fifty-three their family caregivers. For the questionnaire “Are you living worthwhile lives?”, only 15.8% elderlies answered “Yes”. We examined the correlation between each survey item. WHO-5-J score of the elderly was positively correlated with their health status (r=. 4550, p=. 00070), EQ-5D-5L-J score was negatively correlated with the level of certification of care needs (r=-. 4321, p=. 00071). For the caregivers, WHO-5-J score was positively correlated with EQ-5D-5L-J score (r=.4189, p=.00222), health status (r=.5706, p=.00002), and was negatively correlated with J-ZBI_8 score (r=-.5796, p=.00001). Conclusions: The health status felt by the elderly themselves was supposed to have the relationship with the mental health. To sustain the caregivers’ own health status and to reduce care burden were important for maintaining well-being and QOL of the caregivers.