Effects of a Supportive Educative Nursing Program on Knowledge and Self-care Behaviors of Older Adults with Heart Failure

Abstract

An increasing number of older adults with heart failure has been recognized worldwide. With a decline in self-care ability and lack of knowledge, older patients with heart failure have been facing frequent admission and more complications. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a supportive educative nursing program developed based on the Orem’s Self-care Theory on knowledge and self-care behaviors of the older patients with heart failure. A two-group pre-posttest experimental study was conducted at patients’ homes in Bangkok. A total of 42 participants, 60 years and older with a diagnosis of heart failure, were randomly assigned to the intervention and the comparison groups. The comparison group received routine care, while the intervention group received a 4-week supportive educative nursing program. The intervention consisted of health education and skill training on fluid and sodium restriction, medical adherence, exercise, and emergency care, home visits; and weekly telephone call. A self-report questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was used to collect data before and after the intervention. According to paired t-test, the intervention group has a significantly higher pre-posttest mean score of knowledge as well as self-care behaviors (p<0.001). The results confirmed that a supportive educative nursing program could improve knowledge and self-care behaviors of older adults with HF. Clinical outcome should be examined for older adults with HF in the future study. This program should be applied to promote self-care behaviors of the community-dwelling older patients with other chronic disease.