Perceived Hopelessness and Family Support among Elders in Long-Term Care Hospitals

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the perceived hopelessness and family support among elders in long-term care hospitals. Methods: Participants were 226 elderly patients who were 65 years of age or over residing in two long-term care hospitals located in G city and J area. A structured questionnaire was used for measurement of levels of hopelessness and family support. Data were collected from February 1 to March 31, 2013. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis with the IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 version program. Results: The mean score for hopelessness was 3.41, and the score for family support was 3.04. Family support, economic status, and period of hospitalization accounted for 24% of the variance in hopelessness. Conclusion: The findings indicate that family support and short-stay hospitalization are needed to decrease hopelessness in elderly people requiring long-term care. Individual intervention programs towards improvement in family support and shorter periods of hospitalization should be considered to decrease hopelessness.