Older Australians make up almost half of all hospital admissions and more than half of all patient days in the health system, yet there’s never been a consistent way to measure whether the care they receive genuinely improves their quality of life, rather than just their clinical results. The research team is developing the first quality-of-life measure specifically designed for Australians aged 65 and over receiving subacute care – the rehabilitation-style services that help people recover after an illness or injury and transition safely back home or into ongoing care. Why existing measures fall shortLead researcher Dr Jenny Cleland, from Flinders University’s College of Health and Enablement, says the project addresses a genuine gap in how healthcare is currently evaluated for older patients. Crucially, this measure is being built differently from the outset: developed together with older people, rather than designed for them and applied afterward. The research team will conduct in-depth interviews with older patients before testing and validating the new tool with hundreds of people currently receiving subacute care.