As you may already know, heart failure means that your heart doesn’t pump as well as it used to. Heart failure can cause your body to hold onto extra salt and water. This results in swelling and shortness of breath, and may cause you to be in the hospital more often than you would like.
The treatment for heart failure is not easy. It usually means taking many medicines, decreasing the salt in the foods you eat, and being as active as possible.
Managing the symptoms and treatment for heart failure can be difficult. That is why Community Health Network offers the Healthy Hearts Center Congestive Heart Failure Clinic. The clinic is made up of a health care team that is coordinated by nurse practitioners who work directly with your doctor to keep a close watch on your progress and make changes that will help you feel better and stay out of the hospital.
The initial phase of the program consists of four visits. During this time, the clinic staff will get to know you and will be able to provide you with all the necessary information and tools you need to best manage your condition. The visits are usually scheduled one week apart, but can be arranged to fit most any schedule. Each time that you come to the clinic, you will be weighed. Your blood pressure and pulse will be taken while you are lying down, sitting up and standing. You may also take a supervised walk in the hallway to check your response to activity. If you need any lab work done, you can have your blood drawn in the clinic to save you a trip to the lab. You will meet with the nutritionist and pharmacist during the first phase of the program. Other health care team members are available to assist in your care, such as a chaplain or social worker.
Your doctor and the clinic staff will help you decide how often you will benefit from visiting the clinic on a continuing basis after the first four visits.
