Quality of Life and Related Demographic Characteristics of Elderly with Heart Failure Admitted to Hospitals of Guilan University of Medical Sciences

Given the debilitating nature of heart failure, all aspects of life including quality of life should be considered in the care of patients with this problem. This study aimed to assess the quality of life and related demographic characteristics in elderly patients with heart failure.

The participants in this cross-sectional study were 135 elderly people aged 60 years and older with heart failure admitted to teaching hospitals of Guilan University of Medical Sciences in 2018. The patients were selected using convenience sampling. The data in this study were collected using a demographic information questionnaire and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics including independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation, and ANOVA at a significance level of less than 0.05 (P<0.05).

The results showed that the mean of the total quality of life in the elderly was 61.5±15.62 from 126; and the mean scores for the physical, psychological, and socio-economic subscales of quality of life were 27.7±9.58, 12.2±2.80, and 21.5±5.65, respectively. Most of the elderly reported average quality of life and socioeconomic status, and high physical, and psychological health. It was also found that the patients’ quality of life had a significant relation with income (p<0.038), the number of admissions due to heart failure and non-heart diseases (p<0.001), and chronic diseases (p<0.001).

The majority of patients under study reported a moderate quality of life. Adopting preventive policies, identifying high-risk patients, and planning for therapeutic and nursing interventions will improve the quality of life for this group of patients.