QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS AND THEIR CAREGIVERS: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PERCEPTIONS OF SUFFERERS OF CHRONIC DISEASES IN THE BOLGATANGA REGIONAL HOSPITAL

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to assess the Quality Of Life (QOL) and illness perceptions of patients and their caregivers living with chronic diseases. Chronic Diseases (CD) are progressive conditions with both motor and non-motor symptoms that can have a profound impact not only on the patients but also on family members who often adopt the role of caregivers. They place significant demands on the caregiver, as they take on more daily tasks and increasingly provide physical, emotional, and economic support. The overall aim of this thesis was to assess the Quality Of Life (QOL) and illness perception of patients and family caregivers living with chronic diseases. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Upper East Regional Hospital. Quantitative method was used to collect data. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents for this study. The study recruited 144 patients from four chronic diseases attending their weekly clinic sessions. Also, 144 family caregivers were interviewed on the illness perception of their relatives. Caregivers of the patients had greatly different opinions about the illness perception (p=.003.This implies that different conditions present different perceptions. Patients with Mental diseases (M=169.17, SD=20.68) have differences than Diabetic patients (M=155.47, SD=10.82). There was no significant differences among the four selected diseases on patients’ quality of life as also applied to the subscale levels too (p=.005). HIV/AIDS caregivers have more significant scores than Diabetic caregivers. For causes of illness, it was revealed that mental caregivers have more significant scores than HIV/AIDS caregivers (p=.000). In total, mental caregivers have more significant scores than HIV/AIDS caregivers and Diabetes caregivers (p=.000). There was no significant difference between the four diseases (p=.537) of caregivers on quality of life (QOL) and at the subscale levels , except for Life Activities QOL which revealed that Diabetes caregivers have more significant scores than HIV/AIDS caregivers (.008). Partners feel a heavy responsibility and their involvement in providing care has an enormous impact on their quality of life.