Description:
The Happy Valley Family Health Team (HVFHT) is in the early stages of offering this new program to our patients.
Heart failure (HF) is a common condition that develops after the heart becomes weakened. Heart failure does not happen overnight – it is a progressive disease.
Patients with HF can receive treatment and make lifestyle changes that may slow the progression of the disease. With changes, patients may be able to eliminate some symptoms and improve the quality and length of their lives. Goals of this new program are to increase the patient and their family’s understanding of HF, its medical treatments, as well as improve/maintain our patient’s quality of life. In addition, we aim to reduce emergency room visits and hospital admissions for acute HF symptoms. Ongoing assessments in the HF Care Program would include:
- Assistance with managing medications for HF treatment.
- Ongoing individualized patient and family education about the disease process, diet, lifestyle, self-monitoring, and self-assessment.
- Health teaching to enable patients to gain confidence and learn skills to effectively self- manage heart failure.
- Assist patients to make healthy lifestyle choices to improve quality of life.
- Help patients to learn how to carefully monitor weight and heart failure symptoms.
- Advanced Care Planning.
- Improved coordination of care.
Helpful Resources:
Prerequisites:
- Physician Referral: Yes
- Patient of Happy Valley Family Health Team: Yes
- Appointment Required: Yes
- Also: Clinical diagnosis of heart failure required.
Registration:
If you have been diagnosed with Heart Failure, please speak with your Family Doctor to discuss your individualized care plan and whether or not you would benefit from a referral to our Heart Failure Care Program team.
