SOPHI- Selfcare in Older Persons with Heart failure Intervention

Project SOPHI- a selfcare program for elderly, frail persons with heart failure

Project SOPHI- Selfcare in Older Persons with Heart failure Intervention is a selfcare program that evaluates effects on physical performance (primary outcome), symptom burden, health related quality of life, nutritional status, and hospital readmissions. Selfcare is a process of maintaining health through health promoting and preventive practices. Selfcare is an essential part of persons daily lives and improving selfcare in elderly, frail persons with heart failure can increase physical performance, quality of life and lower hospital readmission rates.

SOPHI is a collaboration between Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset and Karolinska Institutet with a multidisciplinary group with researchers and clinically active nurses, physiotherapists, physicians, and dieticians. The project is a randomized controlled trial with a treatment and a control group with elderly, frail persons with heart failure. Patients are recruited at discharge and the treatment is led by a physiotherapist, nurse, and a dietician working at the hospital. The treatment contains individualized physical exercise in combination with dietary advice and symptom management.

Few studies have examined selfcare for the elderly frail persons with heart failure, and therefore this study can be of significance for these persons quality of life and lead to better and more cohesive care for the elderly with heart failure.

Principal Investigator