OBJECTIVE: To assess the quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in two university hospitals. Interviews were conducted with 170 elderly patients with heart failure in an outpatient setting. To assess the quality of life, the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire was used. RESULTS: The results showed a minor impact of illness on the emotional dimension of quality of life. However, indicators related to the physical dimension, including fatigue and breathlessness, showed a greater impact on quality of life for elderly patients. The internal consistency of the instrument-specific to quality of life was high, indicating satisfactory reliability (α > 0.80). CONCLUSION: This study enabled the assessment of quality of life of elderly patients living with heart failure, demonstrating that the physical dimension was the most compromised. It is essential to implement strategies to improve physical functioning in these patients.
Elderly; Heart failure; Quality of life
