Introduction:

Hemodialysis patients should undergo non-curative and highly invasive treatments, involving significant changes in style, habits and quality of life.

Objective:

To know the psychic and physical state of patients in a chronic hemodialysis program and their opinion about their personal experience in hemodialysis sessions.

Material and Method:

A cross-sectional observational descriptive study was carried out. Different rating scales were used to know in depth the psycho-physical state of the selected sample.

Results:

Thirty-five patients were included, with an average age of 67.43±14.82 years and a median hemodialysis time of 20 months (P25 4; P75 62.5). 71.43% had some degree of dependency for basic activities (Barthel) and 85.71% for instrumental activities (Lawton-Brody). 71.43% presented some degree of anxiety (Hamilton) and 77.14% the probability of suffering depression (Goldberg Scale). 54.29% had some degree of cognitive deterioration (Minimental Exam). 88.57% perceive impairment in their quality of life in the physical aspect and 51.43% in the mental level (SF-12). The experience in hemodialysis was rated by the group as ‘Regular’, ‘Bad’ or ‘Very Bad’ by 51.43%. A 62.86% reported doing nothing during the sessions and 57.14% are attracted by the idea of participating in a recreational program (according to a self-created questionnaire).

Discussion and Conclusions:

The median of the results in depression, anxiety, dependence, cognitive deterioration, perception of quality of life and perception of the treatment is seriously altered. According to the consulted bibliography, favoring the performance of ludic-therapeutic activities during hemodialysis can improve the attitude of patients, helping maintain an adequate level of both physical and mental health and improving the perception of treatment.