Support and care services for people with heart
failure
People living with heart failure often need
special care and support. But compared to other illnesses - such as
cancer - these individuals are getting less
specialist care.
Palliative care helps to relieve pain and symptoms meaning that
people living with long term conditions, and those nearing the end
of their life, feel more comfortable. Although not everyone with
heart failure needs palliative care, many do need more general help
and support. Both these kinds of care help improve an individual’s
quality of life and allow them to spend more time at home.
The course of heart failure is very hard to
predict – often a person with heart failure becomes very ill but
then their condition improves again. This can happen several times,
making it difficult to tell when they are reaching the end of their
life. It also means that patients may need several different types
of care.
It’s important that palliative and supportive care is available
for everyone that needs it, whatever their condition. All health
and social care professionals should have training in this to help
them provide the best possible service.
We are working with Marie Curie Cancer Care and NHS Greater
Glasgow and Clyde, in developing a care service which meets the
needs of people with advanced heart failure and their carers. The
Caring Together programme could help develop a care service for use
across the UK.
We also fund specialist heart
failure nurses who provide care and advice to heart failure
patients in their own home.
For more information please email us at policy@bhf.org.uk.