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The literature on successful aging reveals a wide range of definitions, generally reflecting the academic discipline of the investigator. Biomedical models primarily emphasise physical and mental functioning as successful aging; socio-psychological models emphasise social functioning, life satisfaction and psychological resources as successful aging. Several studies also identify these factors as the precursors of successful aging. Moreover, research shows that older people consider themselves to have aged successfully, but classifications based on traditional medical models do not. Fewer studies have explored lay views, and most of these have been exploratory or restricted to specific groups of areas. A model of successful aging needs to be multi-dimensional, incorporate a lay perspective for social significance, use a continuum rather than dichotomous cut-offs for "success" and lack of, and distinguish clearly between predictor and constituent variables. (Contains 1 table.)

This paper is based on the results of a national survey of the quality of life of 999 randomly sampled people aged 65 and over, living at home in Britain. The survey was semi-structured, and a sample of survey respondents was followed up and interviewed in-depth in order to explore their perceptions of quality of life in full. Comparisons are made here between the results of (i) a hierarchical multiple regression model based on theoretically derived indicators of survey respondents' ratings of their overall quality of life, with (ii) the same respondents' own definitions of quality of life, categorised from their responses to open ended survey questions, and (iii) the views of a sub-sample of these survey respondents who were subsequently interviewed in greater depth. Respondents were asked the open ended questions on quality of life at the outset of the survey interview in order to prevent any respondent bias from the structured measures used. The core components, and the central planks, of quality of life, which were consistently emphasised by the three approaches, were psychological characteristics and outlook, health and functional status, personal and neighbourhood social capital. The lay models also emphasised the importance of financial circumstances and independence, which need to be incorporated into a definition of broader quality of life.

This study aimed to explore older peoples' definitions of, and priorities for, a good quality of life for themselves and their peers. Nine hundred and ninety-nine people aged 65 and over, living at home in Britain, were interviewed for the study. Good social relationships were the most commonly mentioned constituent that gave respondents' lives quality (mentioned by 81 percent). Other important factors were social roles and activities, health, psychological outlook and well-being, home and neighborhood, finances, and independence. Poor health was most often mentioned as taking quality away from life (by 50 percent). Social relationships and health were judged to be the most important areas. Having health and enough money were the two most frequently mentioned things that would improve the quality of their own lives and those of their peers (though in different order of magnitude). The need for dynamic, multidimensional, and integrated models of quality of life in older age is suggested by these results. (Contains 1 figure and 2 tables.)