Self-Care Practices among Adult Clients ReAdmitted With Congestive Cardiac Failure at Parirenyatwa Central Hospital, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Majority of clients with congestive cardiac failure have poor prognosis leading to long hospital stay and mounting hospital charges. Congestive cardiac failure imposes an increasingly heavy burden on health care systems in Zimbabwe since there is an increase in number of clients re-admitted with this condition. The aim of the study was to determine selfcare practices (adherence to treatment and life style practices) among adults re-admitted with congestive cardiac failure at Parirenyatwa group of hospitals. Materials and Methods: A descriptive quantitative design was used. Probability, simple random sampling was used to select 30 participants. A scheduled questionnaire with questions to gather data of interest was used and self-care practices was rated using the Likert scale. Data was analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 20 and frequencies, mean and percentages were determined. Results: The minimum score obtained was 1(5%) and the maximum score was 20 (100%) The average score was 9 (30%).Four (13, 3%) of the respondents had high self-care practices (lifestyles and adherence to treatment), 9 (30%) had moderate self-care practices and 17 (56, 7%) had low self-care practices. Discussion: The majority had low self-care practices. Possible attributing factors to low adherence rate were alcohol consumption and lack of such resources like transport and money to buy medication. Self-care practices are important activities to maintain clinical stability especially adherence to the medication, diet and exercise regimens and social habits are very important to reduce hospital re-admissions. Conclusion: Clients with congestive heart failure were re-admitted due to poor self-care practices following discharge.