Subjective quality of life of persons with spinal cord injury, ages fifty and over: Views of persons with short and long durations of injury

Technology and increasingly sophisticated rehabilitation techniques have advanced to the point that life expectancy of persons who have had spinal cord injuries for long durations is approaching that of the general population. As such, a paucity of research exists on such 'aging' persons with spinal cord injury. This qualitative study compared subjective perceptions of quality of life among four persons, aged fifty, with durations of injury of twenty-five years or more, to those of four persons, aged fifty, with durations of injury of five years or less. Participants with long durations of injury were observed to emphasize maintenance of independence in establishing indicators of quality of life. In turn, participants with short durations of injury emphasized adjustment to living with a disability as an important indicator of quality of life. Participants with long durations of injury also rated their quality of life higher than their short-duration counterparts.