Happy February from all of the Hearties at Nurses With Heart Home Care!
February has officially arrived and it is American Heart Month. Today, February 14th also happens to be a very romantic, heart filled Valentine’s Day. Nurses With Heart Home Care also cares about our client’s hearts, especially on the heartiest day of heart health month! This makes February very fortuitous for Nurses With Heart Home Care. So let us take this opportunity to review heart health and how home care is essential to a hearty rehabilitation.
First off, let’s review some heart facts:
– A healthy human heart beats an average of 72 times a minute, sending 2,000 gallons of blood through 60,000 miles of blood vessels daily.
– The major risk factors for heart disease are: family history & genetics, smoking, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, obesity, & diabetes.
– The American Heart Association estimates that 7.5 million Americans are living with cardiovascular disease.
– Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and one of the major causes of disabilities among both men & women.
– Approximately 20% of patients admitted to hospital require re-hospitalization within 30 days of discharge – this is most often due to lack of home support.
Recognize, React, & Recover:
– Men should be screened for heart disease by their physician starting at 45 years old, while women should begin being screened no later than 55 years old.
– The most common signs of a heart attack are chest pains & shortness of breath.
– Men may experience pressure on their chest, neck or arm discomfort, and irregular feelings of indigestion.
– Women may feel as if their heart is skipping beats, fatigue, and a loss of exercise capacity.
– If the person should experience any of these symptoms (regardless if they are male or female), lose consciousness, be unresponsive, or have irregular breathing always call 911.
– Following a heart attack & hospitalization, recovery time will be unique to each individual, so it is important to be aware of one’s limitations and not to overdo or be discouraged by rehabilitation.
– It is important not to revert to old habits after recovery – look to support from your loved ones and your community to continue to encourage your good habits.
– Facilitate home health care in daily monitoring of your health status, evaluating your nutritional needs, and assisting you in medication management to decrease the likelihood of being readmitted to the hospital.
What we can do to ensure our heart health:
– Stop smoking through the use of a variety of aids – The American Heart Association has a great resource page for avenues to begin your new journey in your cigarette-free life!
– Exercise, exercise, then exercise some more!
– Eat a low cholesterol diet high in leafy greens and low in junk food.
– Minimize stress through engaging with your community, getting six to eight hours of sleep each night, and laugh, laugh, and then laugh some more!
Nurses With Heart Home Care can assist you with your rehabilitation following hospitalization at home through a variety of services – from personal care to medication management. Give us a call to find out how we can uniquely cater our services to fit your needs.
Please check out the American Heart Association website for useful tips on nutrition, interesting heart facts, and handy tools for caregivers and educators.