Assessment of relationship between self-care and fatigue and loneliness in haemodialysis patients

Aims and objectives: To assess the level of fatigue, self-care abilities and level of loneliness in Turkish haemodialysis patients and to determine the relationship between the level of fatigue, self-care and loneliness. Background: Dialysis patients experience difficulties such as deterioration in physical performance and self-care abilities, fatigue and social isolation due to the disease and the treatment. Design: This is a descriptive study and was conducted at two dialysis treatment centres. Methods: The sample included 325 haemodialysis patients. Patients were selected via convenience sampling. Criteria for inclusion of patients undergoing haemodialysis treatment were those who volunteered to take part in the study, who were literate and who were over 18 years of age. Data were gathered using Patient Information Form, Visual Analog Fatigue Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale and Self-Care Ability Scale. Results: Haemodialysis patients reported high level of fatigue, low level of self-care and moderate level of loneliness. The correlation values indicated that as the levels of loneliness and fatigue increased, the self-care abilities decreased. The self-care abilities of the female patients were worse. Patients over the age of 60 years, those with low education level or patients on a low income and those with other chronic diseases had higher levels of loneliness and fatigue, and lower level of self-care. Conclusions: In this study, the level of fatigue of haemodialysis patients was high, their self-care ability was very low and their level of perceived loneliness was moderate. Furthermore, fatigue negatively affects patients' self-care; the higher the patients' level of fatigue was, the lower their level of self-care. Relevance to clinical practice: In order for haemodialysis patients to manage their fatigue successfully, to improve their self-care abilities and to decrease their levels of loneliness and social isolation, nurses should provide physical, social and emotional support. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.