Assessing the Self-care Status in Older Adults Diagnosed with Heart Failure and Hospitalized in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Units of the Public Hospitals in the East of Guilan, Iran (2020)

Abstract

Background & Aims: One of the most common diseases during old age is cardiovascular disease. Heart failure is the leading cause of death, disease, hospitalization, and poor quality of life. There are different approaches for controlling heart failure, including self-care, and adherence to self-care behaviors in patients suffering from this disease is very important. People with effective self-care have a better quality of life, and mortality and readmission rates are lower among these people than those with poor self-care. Medication adherence, diet adherence, rest, improving sleep quality and life quality, knowing how to control emotions, and self-care could help control the complications and problems associated with this disease. Meanwhile, knowing how to perform self-care is very important. Despite the importance of self-care in positive health outcomes, many patients with heart failure have inadequate self-care behaviors. Considering the role of nurses in health promotion and instruction of self-care behaviors, they can plan interventions to promote the patients' self-care behaviors and consequently the quality of life in patients diagnosed with heart failure. The present study aimed to determine selfcare status in older adults diagnosed with heart failure. Materials & Methods: This article reports part of the results of a larger cross-sectional study. The study population consisted of the elderly with heart failure hospitalized in the cardiovascular intensive care units of East Guilan public hospitals in 2020. A sample of 125 patients was selected from the population via convenience sampling. The sample of the study met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Inclusion criteria were: age 60 years and older, heart failure based on clinical signs, electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography showing an ejection fraction of less than 40%, functional class II to IV based on the patient medical file and the approval of a cardiologist, the ability to communicate, and informed consent to participate in the study. Patients with severe mental or cognitive impairments, history of neurological problems, cerebrovascular accidents, transient ischemic attack, short-term memory impairment or dementia, mental instability (according to medical records), inability to speak, auditory and visual impairments, and Charlson comorbidity index of 1-2 were not included in the study, and the exclusion criteria included incomplete completion of the questionnaire and unwillingness to continue collaborating in the study. The research instruments included demographic characteristics questionnaire and the self-care of heart failure index (SCHFI) questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha was used to check the reliability of the SCHFI in the present study which was 0.82. Sampling lasted from late May to December 2020. Having obtained permission from the ethics committee of Guilan University of Medical Sciences and relevant officials, the researcher referred to the mentioned medical centers, selected the research units, introduced himself, provided suf...

Examining the relationship between depression and medication adherence among elderlies suffering from cardiovascular disease referring to the clinics affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences: A cross‐sectional study

“…Nevertheless, another study found employed elderlies have reported fewer symptoms of depression by 1.72 units compared with unemployed elderlies 37 . The prevalence of depression in elderly suffering from HTN had no significant relationship with comorbidity 27,44 ; however, in other studies, there was a significant relationship between prevalence of depression and comorbidity 36,45 . Similar studies have shown a significant relationship between the constant need for care and prevalence of depression among the elderly 4,46–48 .…”

“…37 The prevalence of depression in elderly suffering from HTN had no significant relationship with comorbidity 27,44 ; however, in other studies, there was a significant relationship between prevalence of depression and comorbidity. 36,45 Similar studies have shown a significant relationship between the constant need for care and prevalence of depression among the elderly. 4,[46][47][48] It seems that personal and social differences of the elderly across different countries and even the cities of one country with varying cultures and attitudes would affect the extent of their distress considering their special conditions.…”