Heart Failure Clinic

First Thing to Know:  You are NOT alone.

About five million Americans have heart failure - a chronic condition that keeps your heart from pumping blood through the body as well as it should.  The result: a lack of oxygen that cuases you to feel tired and weak, and experience swelling in your legs, feet, stomach or lungs.  The good news?  The condition can be controlled and the Heart Failure Clinic is here to help you do just that.

The Goal of the Heart Failure Clinic

The goal is to improve your quality of life by managing your symptoms of heart failure.  It starts with education...helping you fully understand the nature of your condition, its causes, and the ways it can be controlled by improved function and structure.

About the Clinic

Clinic visits are held weekly or every other week and generally last 60 to 90 minutes.  Most patients attend two or three sessions, sometimes more.  Medical Directors oversee the program, and the Clinic services are provided by Nurse Practitioners in collaboration with Registered Dietitians, Clinical Pharmacists, fitness professionals and other Hospital clinicians.  Our team will help you discover practical steps you can take to best manage your condition and improve your quality of life.  During each visit, we will assess your health status and tailor services to optimize medication dosing, enhance your skills to identify problem symptoms early, and promote independence through wise diet and activity choices.

 

Topics Covered Include:

• Nutrition/Meal planning
• Exercise/Activity guidance
• The role of medication
• Making healthy lifestyle choices
• Effective, simple relaxation skills

Each Clinic session will also include a relaxation experience and a heart-heatlhy recipe will be provided to each participant.

How You Can Participate

To participate in the Heart Failure Clinic, you will need a referral from your cardiologist or primary care physician.  As you continue through the program, your referring physician will receive written reports on your progress.  Family members or support persons are encouraged to join you in the Clinic.  Your loved ones can play a vital role in ensuring that your program is successful, so it is improtant that they have a good understanding of your condition, your symptoms and the lifestyle choices that you may want to make to get what you want out of life.

Living with Heart Failure Support Group

In addition, the Elkhart General Hospital Center for Cardiac Care offers a free support group for patients, families and support persons.  No physician referall is needed and no registration is required. 

The Heart Failure Clinic is covered by most major insurance plans.  Medicare and Medicaid are accepted.