Understanding Heart Failure


Doctors ask people with heart failure to change their lives — by eating differently, remembering medications, paying closer attention to their bodies and reducing stress. Such changes are hard because they often require breaking long-held habits. These changes get easier when loved ones get involved, however. Often, hired caregivers can have the greatest impact on your loved one’s success in following instructions from the healthcare team.

Highly qualified and trained caregivers are ready to help you and your loved ones with a variety of daily activities such as:

  • Lending emotional support
  • Helping with medical issues
  • Identifying weight changes – or fluid build up
  • Tracking changes and medication
  • Medication reminders
  • Preparation of a heart healthy diet
  • Communicating with family and health care professionals

Our caregivers receive specialized training about the disease process of CHF and how to best encourage your loved one to manage the disease.

A patient is said to be in “heart failure” when his or her heart no longer pumps the blood sufficiently enough to meet the body’s needs. Heart failure is diagnosed by symptoms and measurements taken with an echocardiogram. Along with medications, doctors often recommend lifestyle changes such as an increase in exercise, dietary improvements and cessation of smoking. Some patients require surgery to implant a pacemaker which helps the heart maintain a regular and sufficiently strong beating pattern.

Symptoms may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Weakness
  • Irregular heart beat
  • Weight gain
  • Swelling
  • Shortness of breath
  • Dizziness
  • Cough

The goal of treating heart failure is to slow its progression. Caregivers trained to care for seniors with chronic heart failure can support the healthcare team’s recommendations by:

  • preparing low sodium meals
  • creating and monitoring an exercise plan and even accompanying the senior during the exercise
  • ensuring seniors take their medications consistently
  • transporting seniors to doctors appointments

Live a Full Life with Chronic Heart Failure

Love 2 Live Caregivers Can Help!

Reduce your stress knowing that our specially trained caregivers are watching over your loved one. Daily management will give you peace of mind and optimize quality of life.

A senior caregiver specially trained in caring for those with heart failure improve daily experiences, feelings of well-being, physical symptoms and even mood. To explore the options involved with using a senior caregiver, please don’t hesitate to call us at 619-291-4663. You can also schedule an in-person interview here. Don’t wait until a life-threatening crisis lands you or your loved on in the hospital. Get the help you need to live the life you want to live!