Instruments for assessing the preferences for everyday living of older people with various care needs across different care settings: an evidence map

•We developed a systematic evidence map and identified 67 instruments that can be used to systematically assess the preferences for everyday living of older people with various care needs.•The evidence map provides (interactive) information about the various topics of each instrument related to everyday living (e.g., care, leisure, sexuality).•In addition, different types of instruments (e.g., questionnaires, guidelines for observations, and cards) and assessment methods (e. g., self- and/or proxy-rated, open- and/or close-ended questions, sorting procedures, and stimuli used on their own or as additional methods) of preferences for everyday living were identified. Considering the preferences for everyday living of older people with various care needs across different care settings is important in nursing care. Currently, there is no systematic overview of the various instruments, and it is unclear what instruments exist, and which preferences they measure. We systematically searched for studies in the electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycInfo. Title/abstract and full text screening were performed independently by two researchers. We mapped and described the identified instruments in two tables and one interactive evidence atlas. We identified 67 instruments for assessing the preferences for everyday living of older people with various care needs across different care settings. We clustered the identified instruments into two main categories: broad and specific. The results show a wide range of instrument types and assessment methods. Research gaps exist, for instruments developed for assessing preferences comprehensively for a particular topic for everyday living, particular populations, and settings.