Patients with chronic heart failure suffer from undesirable effects in their daily activities. Effective self-care management in conjunction with social support gives improved the wellbeing of patients with chronic heart failure. This study determines social support and self-care management among patients with chronic heart failure. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Cardiology Clinic in Hospital Serdang, Selangor from April 2014 to June 2014. A questionnaire consisting of demographic characteristics, MOS Social Survey and Self-Care Heart Failure Index (SCHFI) was distributed to a total of 113 respondents. The results show moderately high level of social support (3.51±0.89) and level of self-care management (160.49±44.39). For instance, social support and self-care management were not statistically significant with the demographic characteristics (p>0.05). There was a positive correlation between social support and self-care management (r=0.263, p<0.05) and the findings suggest that social support should be considered a predictor in self-care management of patients with chronic heart failure.
Keywords: social support, self-care management, patient(s), chronic heart failure
Study site: Cardiology Clinic in Hospital Serdang, Selango
INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is common among the elderly and can significantly affect their lives including the issues related with social support and diabetic self-care activities.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the social support and self-care activities among the elderly patients with diabetes.
METHODS: A survey involving 200 patients was conducted from March 2013 to May 2013 in three hospitals in Kelantan. Data were obtained through self-administered questionnaires and clinical characteristics were acquired from the patients' records.
RESULTS: The scores for social support (mean = 19.26; SD = 2.63) and self-care activities (mean = 14.83; SD = 4.92) were moderate. Higher social support was associated with high levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS) level, the duration of diabetes and a decrease in body mass index (BMI) (p<0.05). It was observed that the patients with low educational, Hb1Ac and FBS level, with other chronic diseases and who have had diabetes for some time had low self-care activities (p<0.05). There was a significant negative relationship between an increase in social support and decrease in self-care activity (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: Healthcare providers, family and friends have to strengthen their relationship with the elderly patients with diabetes to provide more social support and promote the compliance with diabetic self-care activities to improve clinical outcomes.
KEYWORDS: Social support; diabetes; elderly; self-care activities
Study site: medical and diabetic clinics, three government hospitals in Kelantan, Malaysia (Gua Musang Hospital, Kuala Krai Hospital and Machang Hospital).