Table 2.

Themes, subthemes and example quotes from study participantsn

Theme	Subtheme	Example quote
Having physical well-being	Being able to do things independently	“[To me, quality of life means] to be independent, which I am not now” (frail man, age 76) “I don’t like to have to have somebody to do every little thing for me.” (frail woman, age 88) “Yes sometimes when you’re sitting there and you can’t do what you want to do it makes you feel blue.” (non-frail woman, age 78) “Well when I get to the place where I can’t totally do anything for myself it wouldn’t be worth living” (non-frail woman, age 78)
	Having symptom control	“When I come home from dialysis I don’t [have] the energy that I used to have so I don’t do nearly as much as I used to.” (frail man, age 77) “Nobody knows what that cramp is like but it is death” (frail woman, age 88) “I felt wasted [after starting dialysis]. I wasn’t happy about it.” (non-frail man, age 83)
	Maintaining physical health	“I can’t think of anything that makes my life bad you know I’m healthy except for my kidney…” (frail woman, age 83) “I think that dialysis has helped my health” (non-frail man, age 77)
	Being alive	“Staying alive that’s the main thing” (frail woman, age 77) “So I know that I have to do this [dialysis] and I’m satisfied with that because I want to continue to live” (non-frail man, age 77)
Having social support	Having practical social support	“If they [staff] could get the van to come and go [to dialysis] on time.” (frail man, age 76) “[My daughters do] everything…I don’t have to do nothing.” (non-frail man, age 83)
	Having emotional social support	“It gives you a lift to know that people care and come in… and talk with you…if I didn’t have [support] from my family I couldn’t make it.” (frail woman, age 88) “I know I couldn’t make it without Him [God].“(non-frail woman, age 81) “somebody [dialysis staff] that you felt like they cared for you rather than just a job.” (non-frail woman, age 78)
	Having socialization	“…let me enjoy my family a little. Let me enjoy my precious grandsons and their family. I said because I don’t get to see my family. All I am doing is going to dialysis…” (frail woman, age 88) “Well I go out to lunch every Tuesday and Thursday. That’s a big thing in my life yeah it is” (non-frail man, age 83)