Functional status and hope in elderly people with and without cancer

The relationships and differences in hope and functional status in elderly people with and without cancer were studied to enhance knowledge concerning these patients' quality of life. A conceptual framework was established using Roy's Adaptation Model of nursing and hope was measured as an indicator of adaptation using Miller's Hope Scale (MHS). In addition, functional status was assessed by six domains using the Philadelphia Geriatric Center's Multilevel Assessment Instrument (MAI). The with-cancer group was a convenience sample of 86 patients 65 years of age and older with cancer who were attending an oncology clinic. The without-cancer group consisted of 88 elderly people in the community who perceived their health as good or excellent and who had never been diagnosed with cancer. Using a regression model, physical health was the only MAI domain, along with the demographic variables of income and education, that was related significantly to MHS scores. The results of this study indicate that declining physical health is a threat to hope and that lower socioeconomic status may be a threat to hope; however, age, gender, or a diagnosis of cancer are not.