THE EFFECT OF SELF-MANAGEMENT TEACHING ON PERCEIVED STRESS IN HOSPITALIZED ELDERLY PATIENTS UNDERGOING DIALYSIS

Aging is growing in the world and chronic health problems are more prevalent at this age and are associated with more severe complications. One of these chronic diseases is chronic renal failure. Hemodialysis is the most common treatment for kidney replacement in these patients and it can cause stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of self-management education on perceived stress in elderly patients undergoing dialysis.

A non-randomized, quasi-experimental study was performed on 62 hemodialysis elderly patients in Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital in Urmia in 2018. First, using the cognitive test scale, the cognitive status of the samples was examined. Then, using the PSS tool scale, perceived stress scores were measured in both groups. In the intervention group, self-management education was held for six sessions of one hour (two sessions per week). The perceived stress level of patients in both groups was re-evaluated after one month after the last training session. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 24 and descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and chi-square test.

The elderly were homogeneous for demographic information. Before the intervention, the perceived stress scores in the intervention (29/06) and control (29/86) groups did not show any significant difference. However, after the intervention, the mean scores of stress in the intervention group (26/96) showed a significant decrease (p <0.001).

Considering the impact of self-management training on reducing perceived stress in patients in this study, it is suggested to use this low cost and effective method for reducing stress in elderly patients undergoing hemodialysis.