EVALUATION OF ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING AMONG ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH COPD

Introduction: We aimed to evaluate Activities of Daily Living (ADL) of elderly patients with COPD, and to determine their levels of dependency in their ADL. Materials and Method: This descriptive study was performed in Burdur State Hospital. Seventy-six patients aged over 65 years diagnosed with COPD were included. A questionnaire including questions to assess ADL and socio-demographic characteristics of patients was used to collect data. Results: 53.9% of the participants were aged between 65-74 years. In relation to ADL, 9.2% of the patients were fully dependent to others in having a bath and 5.3% in getting dressed and in relation to auxillary daily living activities, 34.2% were fully dependent in shopping, 31.6% in cooking and 11.8% in taking their drugs. 68.4% of the patients stated that they received care from their family members. When asked how they perceived their state of health, 40.8% of them replied "not so bad". Conclusion: Generally elderly patients with COPD have difficulty in carrying out activities of daily living and they become dependent on others. Health care policies to improve their self-sufficiency and independency in activities of daily living must be developed.