Good Spirit Good Life, a Quality of life tool and framework

The Good Spirit Good Life (GSGL) assessment framework has been developed and validated for older Aboriginal Australians, aged 45 years and over.

The package addresses gaps in health and aged care by providing a culturally-informed approach to measuring, understanding and meeting the quality of life needs of older Aboriginal people. By understanding what older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people find important, and in listening to their world views, Services and Carers are empowered to provide holistic support that improves quality of life and achieves better outcomes.

The assessment tool measures wellbeing using 12 interconnected factors which are important to older Aboriginal people.

They include family and friends, connection to Country or island home, community, culture, health, respect, their role as an Elder, supports and services, safety and security, spirituality, future wishes and basic needs being met. Keeping these factors strong will keep an older Aboriginal person’s inner spirit strong and improve their quality of life.

Figure: The Good Spirit Good Life Framework

Good Spirit Good Life Package

The Good Spirit Good Life package comprises of:

The GSGL Assessment Tool: the tool comprises of 12 questions. There are two versions of the Good Spirit Good Life assessment:
1. Client version – to be used with clients who are able to self-report on their quality of life. It is best practice to use this version wherever possible as self-reported measures are more accurate than proxy versions.
2. Carer’s version – to be used for clients who have difficulty self-reporting, it may be more appropriate for a family member or person close to the individual to complete the questionnaire.

Instruction Booklet: comprising of a short guide outlining how to use of the Good Spirit Good Life tool.
Recommendations and Strategies: to assist the users to understand and effectively implement strategies and recommendations.

The resources can be downloaded below.