Quality of Life Among Post Stroke Patients at Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) Coimbatore

Abstract

Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability and the third leading cause of adult death in the industrialized world. Despite the enormous personal and societal impact of stroke, the best method for ensuring stroke outcome is not clear. Assessing health related quality of life is difficult in stroke, in which patients have heterogeneous stroke symptoms and deficits and commonly suffer from psychological and social squeal of stroke. Need for the Study: After stroke the patient needs help to relearn functional skills and need to adapt to remaining disability. Education program helps the stroke patients and their caregivers to learn to use the affected body parts after stroke and redevelop balance and coordination. This also helps to gain skills to perform important activities and conserve energy. Outcome depends on each individual striving, confidence and motivational level. The need to manage of chronic conditions and to actively engage in a lifestyle that fosters health is increasingly recognized as the responsibility of the individual and the family. Statement of the Problem: A study to assess the quality of life among post stroke patients at KMCH Coimbatore, India. Objectives: Assess the quality of life among post stroke patients and to associate the quality of life with selected demographic and clinical variables Design and Sampling: Descriptive research design was used for this study. Non probability purposive sampling technique was adopted to select the samples. Instruments: It is consisted of demographic and clinical proforma, the standard tool SS-QOL (Stroke specific quality of life standardized scale) was used analysis the quality life of patient with post stroke patients. Discussion: Out of 30 subjects 30% of them are in the age group of 51 to 60 years and 37% were in the age group of 31 to 40years and sex 80 %were male and only 20 % were females. 2 (7%) samples had an onset of CVA less than 6 months and 28 (93%) had more than 1 year of CVA. Most of them stayed in hospital for more than a month. Regarding the follow up care 7(23%) came15 days once, 7 (23%) monthly once and others came 2 months once. Regarding the presence of ill health habits smoking, 7(23%), alcohol consumption, 3(10%), tobacco chewing,1(3%),both smoking and alcoholism3(10%) is present, for co-morbidities hypertension, 11(36%), hypertension with diabetes mellitus, 10(33%). Regarding the type of stroke 21(70%) of sample had ischemic stroke and 9(30%) had haemorrhagic stroke. According to the standard tool SS-QOL most of them had poor quality of life. Conclusion: The study results showed that due to lack of knowledge most of them had poor quality of life.