Taking care of your own or a loved one’s heart disease can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re struggling with fatigue or dealing with risk factors and complications, like high blood pressure. When managing heart disease becomes too much to handle, professional home health care can provide the kind of support and assistance you need. VNSNY’s highly skilled and trained professionals often work together as a team and provide a broad array of services.

Our professionals include:

• Registered nurses who work closely with your primary care provider to manage at-home care. During a visit to your home, a nurse will evaluate your needs as they relate to heart disease and any other conditions you may have) and develop a personalized plan of care for taking your heart medication, monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol, and managing stress and your lifestyle; afterwards, the nurse will coordinate the delivery of services and revise your plan as necessary.
• Certified home-health aides who can provide personal care (such as bathing or dressing). They can also shop for and prepare heart-healthy meals that may be prescribed by a dietitian to help you manage your weight and keep your and blood pressure stable, as well as assist with laundry and household chores.
• Home attendants (a.k.a., personal care workers) who can help with basic activities of daily living—bathing, dressing, grooming, making yourself more comfortable at home (if you have swelling in the abdomen or extremities or shortness of breath), walking, eating, shopping, paying bills, doing laundry, and taking you to medical appointments.
• Licensed social workers whocan assess your physical, functional, emotional, environmental, and social needs and offer strategies and resources for support.
• Registered dietitians who will evaluate your nutritional needs, develop a healthy low-sodium, low-fat meal plan, and teach you how to successfully follow dietary strategies that will help you control your weight and your heart disease risk factors. If you have, or develop, conditions that can complicate the management of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease, additional dietary adjustments (particularly when it comes to sodium, protein, fat, carbohydrate, or alcohol intake) may be necessary.

Getting the most from your care

The best way to make at-home care successful: Prepare for it in advance by making a list of responsibilities and chores you’d like the home-care professional to take on, so you can be sure you’ll receive the help you need and won’t forget anything that’s important to you.

It's also wise to map out a schedule for meals, medications, sleep, exercise, and other activities, and to compile a list of emergency phone numbers for doctors, as well as friends and family members who can help in a pinch. This way, everyone will have the same information and the same expectations.