title: Keeping the maintenance of daily life in spite of chronic heart failure. A qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with CHF (Chronic Heart Failure) is an increasing group in the society. They often experience increasing powerlessness and depression in daily life as well as difficulties adhering to other physical symptoms. Many patients have difficulties to deal with daily demands.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe how persons, living with CHF, perceived the maintenance of their daily life.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was following a phenomenographic method in order to describe variations of perceptions. Data was collected through taped interviews, taken from 17 patients. The sample was selected from patients attending a specialist Chronic Heart Failure day care unit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five main categories were identified from 345 statements describing variations in how patients with CHF kept maintenance in their daily life. The categories include: dealing with the realities of life, dealing with thoughts about life's infinity, taking responsibility, dealing with the surrounding world and keeping up with values of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The illness symptoms clearly affected daily routines but participants showed remarkable resolve and showed that values in life could be maintained albeit with a few adjustments. No patient expressed a desire to give up. Understanding patients' perceptions the specialist nurse can transfer these knowledge to other patients in similar situations.
authors.affiliation: Malmo University, Department of Health and Society, Malmo, Sweden. solvig.falk@hs.mah.se
authors.forename: Solvig
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Wahn
authors.forename: Evy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lidell
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011209:Power, Psychological; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D012945:Social Values; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden