Introduction. Rheumatic diseases have episodes of remission and exacerbation. In each of these periods, patients must adapt to the limits caused by disease and reorganize their lives. It often leads to being dependent on other persons. High levels of performed and received care can positively affect the quality of life of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of care received from nurses and non-professional caregivers and its impact on selected areas of life of patients with RA. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 2015 in the Department of Rheumatology in Malopolska. The study involved 40 patients with RA. In the study authors used their own research tool – Efficacy Scale of Received Care, which had undergone a process of standardization. The second tool was a questionnaire – Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Results. The level of effectiveness of the care received from nurses and non-professional caregivers in the opinion of RA patients was mainly at the level of high and moderate and did not differ. However, the high level of care received from caregivers correlated with the quality of life of patients with RA in reference to: emotional reactions and social alienation (p < 0.01). Conclusions. The high level of effectiveness of care received from non-professional caregivers conditioned the quality of life of the patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the psychosocial.

Key words: rheumatoid arthritis, quality of life, care.