| Abstrakt: |
Followup interviews were conducted after three years with 127 older dialysis patients whose treatment modality was unchanged. The mean age of black patients was 70; the mean age of white patients was 72. A significant race difference in reported change in quality of life (QOL) was found for only one variable; white patients, but not black patients, felt they were not taking care of their health as well at Time 2 as at Time 1. For the total sample of patients who were reinterviewed, significant change in QOL responses was found for 9 measures. Vascular access problems were reported significantly less often at Time 2 by hemodialysis patients. Physical complaints related to ESRD and dialysis, use of assist devices, functional impairment, exercise involvement, number of leisure activities, perceived control over future health, depressive symptoms, and mood state responses at Time 2 indicated decline in QOL self-assessments. For the majority of QOL measures that were investigated, including overall life satisfaction, no significant change was found. A clinical challenge is to identify interventions that effectively target areas in which older dialysis patients are at risk for declining QOL over time. |
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