Return to baseline self-care after cataract surgery in an elderly population

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how cataract surgery affects individuals' ability to meet their self-care requisites and thereby maintain their structural and functional integrity. The sample (N = 10) was composed of males and females over the age of 60 who were living independently in the community. The sample size was restricted due to time constraints. A descriptive design, with measures at 24-72 hours and one week post cataract surgery was used. The Post-Discharge Self-Care Questionnaire and Addendum to the Questionnaire, both of which were based on Dorothea Orem' s Theory of Self-Care were used. They asked the individuals' perspective of their need assistance with self-care requisites after surgery. The most common self-care deficits at the 24-72 hour time point were vision difficulties and not feeling quite back to normal. For the majority of the sample, these deficits had improved by one-week. The areas where assistance was needed with selfcare requisites paralleled that of the self-care deficit areas. Again, improvement was seen at one-week. When asked individually if they felt they needed assistance after surgery, the majority denied needing any assistance with their self-care requisites. This study did not find any areas that adversely affected structural and functional integrity for an extended period of time. This is one of the few studies that focuses on the nursing aspect of post-discharge living, as opposed to the medical aspect of morbidity and mortality. Further studies need to be completed on different surgical populations, with larger sample sizes and a larger percentage of comorbidites to provide more information on the nursing aspect of post-discharge care.