| Chronic Heart Failure (HF) affects 5 million individuals in the US. Empirical studies have shown that older individuals with HF may have a poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL), worsening with declining functional status (FS). HRQOL measures often emphasize health status, yet they may fail to measure other concepts important to individuals' sense of well-being. Individualized quality of life (IQOL) is the subjective perception of well-being in domains of importance to the individual. This concept appears relevant to the provision of patient-centered, yet IQOL in this population has not been described.;Social support (SS) may positively influence perceptions of QOL, however, as FS worsens, individuals with HF may need more support while having difficulty maintaining support networks. However, the SS of older individuals with HF and the relationship between SS and QOL is poorly understood. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to describe the SS, HRQOL and IQOL of older individuals with HF.;Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in a convenience sample of 52 community-dwelling older individuals with stable HF in the US. Tools included the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ), Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS), Schedule for the Evaluation of Individualized Quality of Life (SEIQOL), Specific Activity Scale (SAS), and a demographic questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, hierarchical multiple regression and thematic content analysis.;MOS-SSS index was 78.48 (SD 19.85, range 19.74--100), with higher mean rank SS scores in those who were married (Mann-Whitney U=118.5, p=<.001). MLHFQ reversed score was 69.78 (SD 19.85, range 32--103). SEIQOL index score was 5.17 (SD 1.325), indicating that IQOL determinant status was "good" for most participants. SS contributed 8.1% of the variance in IQOL (p=.049), but only 2.2% of the variance in HRQOL (p=.238). Affectionate support and positive social interaction contributed to IQOL (DeltaR²=.142, p=.008; DeltaR²=.118, p=.016). Relationships and enjoyable activities were the most important determinants of IQOL.;These findings show that affectionate support and positive social interaction play a significant role in the IQOL of older individuals with HF and IQOL may be important to the provision of patient-centered care. |
