Social support of adults and elderly with chronic kidney disease on dialysis

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the instrumental and emotional social support of patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. METHOD: descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was sized for convenience and included 103 participants under treatment in a Renal Replacement Therapy Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews, using the Social Support Scale. RESULTS: the mean scores of the emotional and instrumental social support were 3.92 (± 0.78) and 3.81 (± 0.69) respectively, an indication of good support received. The most frequent sources of instrumental and emotional social support mentioned by participants were partners, spouse, companion or boyfriend and friends. CONCLUSION: patients with chronic kidney disease have high social support, both instrumental and emotional, and the main support comes from the family.