Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2015 March, 235(3)

Health Related Quality of Life and Care Dependency among Elderly Hospital Patients: An International Comparison

ATE DIJKSTRA,¹ GÜLENDAM HAKVERDIOGLU,² MARTA MUSZALIK,³ RICHTSJE ANDELA,⁴ ESRA AKIN KORHAN⁵ and KORNELIA KDZIORA-KORNATOWSKA³

¹Institute of Healthcare and Wellbeing, NHL University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
²Faculty of Health Science Department of Nursing, Sifa University, Izmir, Turkey
³Clinic of Geriatrics of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz, Poland
⁴Medisch Centrum Leeuwarden, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands
⁵Faculty of Health Science Department of Nursing, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey

Many countries in Europe and the world have to cope with an aging population. Although health policy in many countries aims at increasing disability-free life expectancy, elderly patients represent a significant proportion of all patients admitted to different hospital departments. The aim of the research was to investigate the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the care dependency status among elderly hospital patients. In 2012, a descriptive survey was administered to a convenience sample of 325 elderly hospital patients (> 60 years) from The Netherlands (N = 125), from Poland (N = 100), and from Turkey (N = 100). We employed the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) Measurement System and the Care Dependency Scale. FACIT is a collection of HRQOL questionnaires that assess multidimensional health status in people with various chronic illnesses. From demographic variables, gender (female) (r = −0.13, p < 0.05), age and informal care given by family members (r = −0.27 to 0.27, p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with the care dependency status for the whole samples. All HRQOL variables, hearing aid and duration of illness correlated with care dependency status (r = −0.20 to 0.50, p < 0.01). Moreover, the FACIT sum score (Poland and Turkey) and functional wellbeing (The Netherlands) are significantly associated with the decrease in care dependency status. Thus, the FACIT variables are the most powerful indicators for care dependency. The study provides healthcare professionals insight into improvement of quality of care in all three countries.

keywords —— elderly patients; functional assessment; health-related quality of life; hospital care; international comparison

© 2015 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2015, 235, 193-200

Correspondence: Ate Dijkstra, Ph.D., Institute of Healthcare and Wellbeing, NHL University of Applied Sciences, Rengerslaan 10, 8917 DD Leeuwarden, TheNetherlands.

e-mail: ate.dijkstra@nhl.nl