Mastering self-care: a qualitative exploration of the psychological and behavioral experiences of older heart failure patients living alone during hospital discharge preparation
Elderly heart failure patients living alone benefit from structured discharge planning and digital tools supporting safe home recovery.
A qualitative study of 26 elderly heart failure patients living alone in China identified four major psychosocial themes during hospital discharge preparation, highlighting the dual challenge of social isolation and complex self-care demands in this vulnerable population. Adaptive strategies including digital literacy and routine reconstruction supported autonomy and self-worth reconstruction.
What the study was
- Study design
- Qualitative descriptive (purposive sampling, n=26, reflexive thematic analysis)
- Population
- Older heart failure patients living alone, Zhengzhou China
- Sample size
- 26
- Category
- Public Health
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- BMC Nursing
Why it surfaced
Qualitative descriptive study in single-center nursing context; limited generalizability and no clinical intervention data.
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.