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COMMENTARY: WELL-BEING IN VERY OLD AGE: OLD AND NEW ISSUES

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The Many Faces of Health, Competence and Well-Being in Old Age

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Abstract

Well-being, the good life, perceived quality of life, healthy ageing, active ageing, ageing well and successful ageing are all, in one way or another, expressions for the quality aspect of ageing. What is meant by the various concepts is, however, rather seldom explicated and few have been properly defined. There are at least two definitions which seem to have gained wider acceptance. Lawton (1991) offers the following definition: “Quality of life is the multi-dimensional evaluation, by both intrapersonal and social normative criteria of the person environment system of an individual in time past, current and anticipated.” This definition is meant to subsume the full spectrum of quality of life in its most inclusive meaning. The major characteristic is its anchorage in various domains. In particular, psychological well-being, behavioural competence, perceived quality of life and objective environment are considered in this definition. As we see, the multi-dimensionality and the integration of perspectives come from a broad area of experiences that the individual accumulates during the life span. Coverage of as many of these aspects as possible is both necessary and important to understand the essence of the concept as it applies to old age.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lund University, Sweden

    BO HAGBERG

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  1. BO HAGBERG
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. German Centre for Research on Ageing, University of Heidelberg, Germany

    Hans-Werner Wahl

  2. German Centre for Research on Ageing, University of Heidelberg, Germany

    Hermann Brenner

  3. German Centre for Research on Ageing, University of Heidelberg, Germany

    Heidrun Mollenkopf

  4. German Centre for Research on Ageing, University of Heidelberg, Germany

    Dietrich Rothenbacher

  5. German Centre for Research on Ageing, University of Heidelberg, Germany

    Christoph Rott

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© 2006 Springer

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HAGBERG, B. (2006). COMMENTARY: WELL-BEING IN VERY OLD AGE: OLD AND NEW ISSUES. In: Wahl, HW., Brenner, H., Mollenkopf, H., Rothenbacher, D., Rott, C. (eds) The Many Faces of Health, Competence and Well-Being in Old Age. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4138-1_14

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