Quality of Life

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults, including complex chronic illness, functional decline, and increased risk of mortality.

Background and Purpose: Negative outcomes of stroke are associated with poorer quality of life (QoL) and impact stroke recovery. The purpose of this study was to characterize QoL and loneliness in a sample of rural Appalachian stroke survivors within 1 year of stroke.

Background: Stroke survivors fall up to seven times more annually than healthy adults of a similar age. The inability to recover balance from slipping, tripping, or rapid ambulation accounts for the majority of falls, while balance control can prevent falls. An examination of the triggers for falls and balance recovery strategies for near falls is crucial for fall prevention in stroke survivors.

Purpose: To examine the self-reported triggers for falls and balance recovery strategies for near falls among community-dwelling stroke survivors.

Aim: To determine the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and perceived self reported symptoms in an elderly, ambulatory, urban population living with heart failure (HF).

Background: While arrhythmias in the elderly with HF are well documented, the association between perceived arrhythmia symptoms and QoL is not well defined.

Design: Prospective, cross sectional single center study.

PURPOSE: To identify and describe: (1) characteristics of sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life (QOL) pre and post implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD); (2) changes in sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and QOL at baseline and 6 months post implant; and (3) relationships among the sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and QOL variables.

Purpose/Objectives: Although frameworks for understanding survivorship continue to evolve, most are abstract and do not address the complex context of survivors’ transition following treatment completion. The purpose of this theory adaptation was to examine and refine the Illness Trajectory Theory, which describes the work of managing chronic illness, to address transitional cancer survivorship.

Data Sources: CINAHL, PubMed, and relevant Institute of Medicine reports were searched for survivors’ experiences during the year following treatment.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is a distressing, disruptive, and potentially debilitating symptom that can occur as a direct result of cancer or its treatment. National organizations have identified cognitive impairment as a challenge many survivors face and call for research to address this problem. Despite the priority, research is still relatively limited and questions remain unanswered about prevalence and impact on survivors, as well as coping strategies and effective treatment options available to address this potentially debilitating problem.

Objective: To assess the effects of positive cardiac genetic diagnoses, ICD discharges, and arrhythmias on measures of psychological well-being. Methods: Fifty-eight adults with prior cardiac genetic testing were enrolled. Patient well-being was determined using the SF-36 (QoL), HADS-A and HADS-D (anxiety/depression), and IPQ-R (patients’ perceptions of illness). Patients with positive and negative cardiac genetic test results were compared using non-parametric statistics.

Background: Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults, including complex chronic illness, functional decline, and increased risk of mortality. 

Background: Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults, including complex chronic illness, functional decline, and increased risk of mortality.