LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

Heart Failure Management

  

Beverly Hospital at Danvers 480 Maple Street Danvers, MA  01923 978 774-4400 978 304-8016 (TTY)

Addison Gilbert Hospital 298 Washington Street Gloucester, MA  01930 978 283-4000 978 491-6733 (TTY)

 

Our Heart Failure Management Program helps patients identify and modify risk factors through education and activity progression.  Risk factors that increase the chances of developing heart failure include:

• Heart Attack
• Angina
• High Blood Pressure
• Valvular Heart Disease
• Obesity
• Sleep Apnea
• Viral Illness
• Alcohol/Drug Abuse

 

Who May Participate

The program is available to patients who have been diagnosed with heart failure.  You may have been hospitalized with fluid in your lungs or swelling in your lower legs. Your physician may have told you that your heart is weakened or you may have a history of a heart attack, angina or high blood pressure.
 
Depending on your particular diagnosis, you may enter our program through a referral from your physician.

 

Inpatient Care

If you are hospitalized for heart failure, your physician will refer you to the Heart Failure Management Program. During your stay, you and your family will learn the potential causes, warning signs and symptoms, and the proper diet to follow at home.  You will also be instructed in taking medications and how they work.  Your activities will be gradually increased to help you feel stronger and better able to go home. 

 

Returning Home

Once home, you will be contacted by the Cardiovascular Center to enter into the outpatient program.  The Heart Failure Management Team will be available to answer your questions or concerns.  The goals of the Heart Failure Management Program are to reduce emergency room and hospital visits for heart failure-related symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.

 

The Road To Better Health

You will undergo a comprehensive evaluation by a cardiovascular nurse practitioner specializing in Heart Failure Management. 

 

You will be assessed for conditions which may be contributing to your heart failure, and a comprehensive treatment plan will be determined based on your individual needs.  Treatment utilizing medications will be optimized, and you will receive intensive education about heart failure, appropriate diet and nutrition, as well as exercise and self-monitoring techniques.

 

Upon completion of the Heart Failure Management Program, all participants will receive a personal heart failure management plan to maintain the best health possible. In addition, we will encourage participation in our onsite exercise program as necessary.

 

Our Professional Team

Our primary goal is to improve the quality of your life. We consider your personal needs and lifestyle to ensure the road back to good health is a comfortable one. Our interdisciplinary team of professionals includes nurses, nurse practitioners, dieticians, behavioral health specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and clinical exercise physiologists. Together, with your physicians, we develop a program tailored to your needs and abilities. We take pride in knowing the strengths and weaknesses, hopes and dreams of each of our clients.  

 

 

Insurance Coverage

Major health insurance companies cover most components of heart failure management.  Check with your insurance carrier to insure eligibility for reimbursement.