Abstract
The current status of patients requiring daily life assistance, among hemodialysis patients managed at hemodialysis centers in Ishikawa Prefecture, was surveyed. A questionnaire was filled out by the chief nurse responsible for the care of hemodialysis patients at each of the 36 hemodialysis centers in Ishikawa Prefecture. Responses to the questionnaire were analyzed to clarify the current status of nursing for hemodialysis patients. Of all hemodialysis patients requiring daily life assistance, 30.0∼42.6% were rated as requiring Level 1 assistance (the lowest level) and 23.7∼40.7% were rated as requiring Level 2∼5 assistance (progressively higher levels of assistance with various aspects of daily life). Of all the hemodialysis patients managed at these centers, 11.4∼19.1% had difficulties moving. Symptoms of dementia and/or disorders of communication were noted in about 5∼10% of all the hemodialysis patients. Approximately 81.0∼90.5% were patients who went to the hospital from home. Only about 2% of the patients were treated at hemodialysis centers outside the facilities or hospitals in which they were accommodated. These results indicate that in Ishikawa Prefecture, accommodating hemodialysis patients at the available facilities or hospitals is difficult and that hemodialysis patients requiring daily life assistance or having disabilities often need assistance from home care service providers or their family members so that they can continue receiving hemodialysis. I therefore propose that, when providing nursing care for hemodialysis patients requiring daily life assistance, it is essential to make better use of home care services for hemodialysis patients and to pay close attention to the important role played by family members.
