Keeping the maintenance of daily life in spite of chronic heart failure. A qualitative study.

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.

Aims: 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.

Conclusion: 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.