Our hearts are the center of our being. They pump blood throughout our body, supplying vital oxygen and nutrients. They are the center of the circulation superhighway.
When in the hospital, the heart comes above all else in terms of priority. The body cannot function without it.
Cardiac issues, and recovering from them, can be overwhelming and scary. Heart disease is the catch-all term for any condition that impacts the structure of the muscle itself, including the connecting blood vessels or the function of it. Know the differences between types of heart disease and learn more about cardiac health.
Heart disease kills more people than all forms of cancer combined 83% believe that heart attacks can be prevented but are not motivated to do anything; 72% of Americans do not consider themselves at risk for heart disease. And 58% put no effort into improving their heart health.
Coping with the aftermath of a cardiac issue can be made easier with one-on-one support from a home care professional.
Home care patients are 11% less likely to be readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of their initial discharge for a heart attack, according to research presented by the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor at American Heart Association’s Quality of Care & Outcomes Research Scientific Sessions, May 2020.
Care at home can include a professional caregiver to assist with activities of daily living, physical therapy or skilled nursing.
The National Institute of Health’s National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has a 28 Days to a Healthier Heart with simple steps to improve cardiac health that you can download.
To improve your health and reduce readmissions, there are several steps to take:
Listen to the Doctor
Regular checkups at your primary care physician are the first step to preventing cardiac issues. Your annual physical checks your weight, blood pressure, does an EKG to measure the electrical activity of the heart and blood work to make sure the body is in chemical balance. All these can impact the heart and its function.
If there are any issues, you may be referred to a cardiologist, a doctor that specializes in the heart.
The doctor may prescribe medication to help manage blood pressure or lower cholesterol, discuss diet and exercise along with additional testing as part of a cardiac health regimen.
The doctor may also want to have you monitor your blood pressure and pulse ox at home to measure your progess.
If you are a smoker, the doctor will encourage you to quit.
Diet
Your physician may recommend watching your diet. This may include reducing sodium to lower your blood pressure and eating less red meat to lower cholesterol while increasing your intake of heart-healthy foods such as fatty fish, leafy greens and whole grains.
Managing fats is also important to cardiac health. Monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil and polyunsaturated fats, found in certain fish, avocados, nuts and seeds, also are good choices for a heart-healthy diet. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower the total blood cholesterol.
Another important aspect of diet is watching portion size. The correct portion sizes to ensure the correct balance of nutrients.
How a Professional Caregiver Can Help
Professional caregivers can help prepare healthy meals and shop for healthy foods and snacks as recommended by a healthcare professional.
A caregiver can help monitor your weight daily, which is valuable information for the doctor. People who are on Lasix (water pills) need to monitor their weight closely to ensure the medication is working.
Exercise
Exercise and heart health go together. Your doctor may prescribe physical therapy to build up your strength, improve your range of motion and flexibility.
Experts encourage you to aim for at least 2½ hours of physical activity each week—that’s just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Going for short walks is an easy way to get moving. Also, you can add low-impact muscle-strengthening exercises a couple days a week. Your doctor or physical therapist can recommend some exercises that are appropriate for you.
Cannot carve out a lot of time in your day? Do not chuck your goal, chunk it! Try doing 10 or 15 minutes of activity a few times a day, every little bit helps. NHLBI’s Move More Fact Sheet fact sheet provides ideas to get and keep you moving.
How a Professional Caregiver Can Help
A professional caregiver can help you stay on track, reminding you to do your exercises and motivating you to keep going. Remembering to do the activity and being motivated are keys to success. Having people in our lives who motivate and care for us helps, as do feelings of closeness and companionship.
Make Life at Home Simpler and Safer
Easing the burden of daily life easier can help with the recovery process. When you’ve come home from the hospital, you are probably drained and exhausted, which can be a recipe for disaster. A weakened person is more likely to have a lapse in judgment that could lead to an accident or they might be off-balance, which could lead to a fall.
In addition to this, the thought of doing the dishes in the sink or walking to the mailbox can be daunting, nevermind doing adequate personal care. Knowing someone will be there when you get home is a stress reliever in itself.
How a Professional Caregiver Can Help
Professional caregivers can help with personal care, meal prep, running local errands, getting the mail and keeping up with the laundry. Having these household tasks taken care of takes away the worry of lugging the groceries into the house and putting them away or carrying the heavy laundry basket to the washing machine and back.
The companionship of having someone coming to the home is a boost for mental health, knowing there is a support system in place. For families, it is a huge stress relief that someone is with their loved one when they cannot be there for them.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. About 90 percent of middle-aged people and more than 74 percent of young adults have one or more risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, or being a smoker or overweight. Having multiple risk factors increases your risk for heart disease.
