This research will provide needed information about persons ages 60+ who are undergoing treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and will furnish data on the relation of personal control and illness intrusiveness to the psychosocial well-being of older persons who are characterized by varying circumstances of chronic illness. Kidney function becomes less efficient as people age, and as the entire population ages, increasing numbers of older people will develop ESRD; about 40% of all chronic dialysis patients in the U.S. are age 60+, and almost half of all new patients started on dialysis therapy each year are 60+. There is limited information to date about the quality of life of older people who undergo treatment for ESRD. Rehabilitation and quality of life outcomes can be studied from a behavioral science perspective, with attention to the patient's psychosocial problems and assessment of his/her life situation. A better understanding of these issues has implications not only for improved patient care and functioning but also for the difficult ethical question of when dialytic therapy should be terminated or perhaps not initiated. The study population will be ESRD patients undergoing treatment in Georgia who are age 60+ as of December 31, 1985. Using the ESRD Network 20 census for that date, a 33 1/3% stratified random sample will be selected so that each of the four race/sex groups will be equally represented. Personal interviews will be conducted with patients in the sample; most interviews will take place at the patient's residence. A matched community sample of older persons in Georgia who are not undergoing treatment for ESRD will also be selected and interviewed at their place of residence. These data will allow comparison of quality of life in older ESRD patients with quality of life in persons who are similar in age, race, and sex and who share chronic conditions (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular disease) and/or age-related impairments such as vision or hearing loss but who are not receiving treatment for ESRD. The analysis will therefore contribute to a better understanding of how the psychosocial well-being of older persons is affected by varying circumstances of chronic illness, as well as furnishing needed information about the rapidly growing segment of the ESRD population that is age 60 or older.
| Kutner, Nancy G (2017) Comment on: Quality of Life, Perceptions, and Health Satisfaction of Older Adults with End-Stage Renal Disease. J Am Geriatr Soc 65:2330-2331 |
| Kutner, N G; Brogan, D; Hall, W D et al. (2000) Functional impairment, depression, and life satisfaction among older hemodialysis patients and age-matched controls: a prospective study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 81:453-9 |
