Life goals of people with disabilities due to neurological disorders

Objective: To identify the life goals of people with long-term neurological disabilities and to correlate them with measures of disability. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Centre for continuing disability management Subjects: Patients with static or progressive neurological disorders. Interventions: Survey using questionnaires and disability scales. Measures: Life goals were identified with a life goals questionnaire. Subjects were also assessed using the Barthel Index, Rivermead Extended Activities of Daily Living Index, Rivermead Mobility Index, Short Orientation Memory Concentration test and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: Ninety-three subjects participated in the study. The frequency with which goals were chosen as extremely important was: family 64; personal care 59; residential arrangements 58; partner 53; social contacts 30; financial status 29; leisure 26; religion 22; and work 19. Positive correlation was noted between stated importance of: personal care and independence in ADL; work and independence; partner and cognitive ability; religion and age; and financial status and anxiety. There was negative correlation between grades of personal care and depression, work and age, residential arrangements and RMI, and social contact and anxiety and depression. Depressed patients rated fewer goals as being of extreme importance. Conclusions: People with disabilities attach great significance to relationships and personal care. Grades of life goals correlated with measures of disability, cognition and emotion.