Correlation Between the Frailty of Elderly Patients on Regular Haemodialysis and the Quality of Life of Their Family Caregivers: A Cross-Sectional Evaluation

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the correlation between the frailty status of elderly patients on regular haemodialysis and the quality of life of their family caregivers.

Methods

90 elderly patients with regular haemodialysis and 90 family caregivers of the respective patients were selected from January 2020 to April 2021. The influencing factors of the caregivers’ quality of life and correlation between patient debility and caregiver quality of life were analyzed by general information questionnaire, Tilburg debility index scale, self-care ability scale, family caregiver-related quality-of-life scale and social support scale.

Results

The quality of life of the family caregivers of elderly patients on regular haemodialysis is at the medium level (4.50 ± 2.96). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis shows that the ability of patients to take care of themselves, the degree of patients’ weaknesses, whether they care for non-dialysis patients, the time to care for patients, social support and the type of current residence have significant impacts on the quality of life of the caregivers (p < 0.001). Variance analysis showed that the fitting degree of linear regression equation is relatively high, and the regression equation is significant (F = 9.195, p < 0.001, R = 0.595, R² = 0.315). The quality of life of caregivers is positively correlated with the ability of the patients to take care of themselves, the length of care, social support and type of current residence (p < 0.05). The degree of weakness in patients is negatively correlated with taking care of non-regular dialysis patients (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

The ability of patients to take care of themselves, the degree of weakness of the patients, social support and the type of current residence are the influencing factors of the burden on the family caregivers of maintenance haemodialysis patients.

Keywords:

• maintenance haemodialysis
• elderly patients
• caregiver
• quality of life

Data Sharing Statement

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Ethics Approval and Consent to Participate

This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the ethics committee of Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (RA-2020-298). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants in this study.

Disclosure

All of the authors had no any personal, financial, commercial, or academic conflicts of interest separately.

Additional information

Funding

Shanghai Hospital Association Hospital Management Research Fund Project (X2020083); Special topic no. of clinical research in health industry of Shanghai Health Commission (202150032); Project number of liberal arts youth talent cultivation plan of Shanghai Jiaotong University (2022QN030).