Activities of Daily Living and Related Factors in Elderly Patients with Pulmonary Disease Preparing for Discharge

Abstract

Purpose: This study investigated the level of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) of elderly patients with pulmonary disease preparing for discharge and the factors affecting it. Methods: The participants of this cross-sectional, descriptive study were 104 patients aged over 65 diagnosed with pulmonary disease at an acute care hospital. Data were collected from November 28, 2018 to March 15, 2019 using a structured questionnaire and the participants’ electronic medical record. The questionnaire asked about demographic and disease-related characteristics and respiratory symptoms experience, and included the Korean versions of the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Katz’s ADL. Results: In the enter-method multiple linear regression analysis, the model explained 38.1% of the ADL (F=4.26, p<.001). The higher the participants’ level of depression, the lower their level of ADL (β=0.43, p<.001), while those without a history of any neurological or psychiatric disease had higher levels of ADL than their counterparts with it (β=-0.22, p=.024). Conclusion: The findings suggest that an intervention that considers depression and history of neurological or psychiatric disease should be implemented to promote ADL among elderly patients with pulmonary disease preparing for discharge. In addition, the results of this study can be used as fundamental information to assess the discharge readiness of elderly patients with pulmonary disease and improve their health-related quality of life by promoting ADL.