Supportive-Educative Program on the Quality of Life of Older Adult Post-Cerebral Stroke Survivors

Abstract

Cerebrovascular stroke incidents are increasing in number, leaving stroke survivors with mental and physical challenges, and often with limited or no understanding to their situation or the therapeutic strategies necessary to live a quality life. This study aims to determine the effects of supportive-educative program (SEP) on the QOL of community-dwelling older adult stroke survivors in selected barangays in Metro Manila, utilizing Dorothea Orem’s self-care deficit theory. Specifically, to identify the profile of older adults in terms of biophysical (BP, MAP, Heart Rate, Weight), QOL (Physical, Psychological, Social Relationships, Environment) status and whether there is a significant difference before and after SEP. Mixed methods explanatory sequential design with non-probability purposive sampling was used, employing the questionnaire World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) to gather from 15 respondents. Results showed the mean age of the study population was from the middle-old aged group (70-80), majority of which were male (60 %) married (53.33%), college graduates (53%). Overall data implies that out of 15 respondents there were positive improvements in SBP in 7 out of 15 cases (46.66%), DBP in 5 out of 15 cases (33.33%), MAP in 6 out of 15 cases (40%), with no change in weight, only 8 out of 15 cases (53.33%) had ±0.206 kilograms difference post-SEP. Social domain is the most constant among the 4 domains of QOL, with a standard deviation of sd=0.6359 (mean=3.399) almost identical before and after the program sd=0.6048 (mean=3.444) suggesting a constant social QOL among respondents, consistent with the positive personal relationships and social support feedback during the interview with the respondents. Moreover, the respondents have the highest satisfaction (mean=4.133) in their personal relationships under the social domain. Among the 4 domains, psychological QOL scored the lowest, followed by the environmental, then Physical, with Social domain at the top of the list.

Furthermore, the major themes derived from the focus group discussion were activities of daily living, mobility, and work capacity, with sub themes: awareness in preventive health practices, good compliance in medications, limited activity options, Go foods, home cooked meals, food preparation preference, stroke adaptive functional ability and inability to occupy work. Based on Wilcoxon statistics converted to z-score to test the significance under normal curve, at 0.01% level of significance and two-tailed test, the critical values of z are -1.96 and +1.96, since the obtained value of each z scores did not exceed these values, this study cannot reject the null hypothesis. In conclusion, the SEP has no significant effect on Biophysical Profile of the older adult post-cerebral stroke survivors and there is no significant difference between the biophysical profile and the QOL of older adult post-cerebral stroke survivors prior and post SEP.