Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to clarify the effects of informal support and other services on the QOL of the elderly population living on A Island.
Method: Surveys were conducted twice between December 2009 and September 2010.
Results: The QOL score was 3.29 (actual range = 2.75－3.83) in the first survey for the 94 elderly people surveyed, whose mean age was 77.2 years. The second survey was conducted for five men and three women in the higher QOL-scoring group, whose mean age was 78.1 years, and for two men and seven women in the lower QOL-scoring group, whose mean age was 77.3 years. Differences between the two groups' lifestyles were caused by the following factors: health condition, financial ability to obtain treatment, quality of human relationships, and formal or informal support. Formal support is concerned physical aspects of an individual's condition, while informal support refers to psychosocial and material aspects. Individuals' conditions include both what they possess and what they can do.
Conclusion: Good physical condition, a network of family-based informal support, and utilization of one's own potential are all required for a high quality of life among the elderly population on A Island.
