The Relation of Depression and Self-esteem on Activity of Daily Living of Elderly People in the Korean Nursing Homes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation of depression and self-esteem on ADL (activity of daily living) in nursing home elderly people with chronic disease. Data were collected from 126 elderly nursing home residents, analyzing ADL, depression, self-esteem, and demographic factors with structured questionnaires. The poor ADL group was associated with higher prevalence rates of CVA (cerebrovascular accident), COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and physical discomfort than the good ADL group. The poor ADL group showed higher depression and lower self-esteem scores than the good ADL group. The factors relating to higher ADL scores were physical discomfort (OR=3.450), depression (OR=6.145), and self-esteem (OR=3.239). The limitation of ADL accelerates depression and decelerates self-esteem. Based on the results of this study, nurses working at geriatric nursing homes will be able to predict expected risk of ADL when they make nursing plans for elderly people with physical discomfort, depression and low self-esteem. These relating factors can contribute to planning the future for the long-term and responsive care in nursing homes.