The beat goes on……
Did you know that the average adult heart beats 100,000 times a day, 3,600,000 times a year? Although it’s no bigger than your fist, your heart has the mighty job of pumping to keep blood flowing through miles of blood vessels to sustain your entire body.
When your heart doesn’t pump blood as well as it should, it’s referred to as heart failure, or sometimes, congestive heart failure. The term “heart failure” can sound frightening, but the name is misleading. The heart doesn’t “fail” in the sense that it suddenly stops, but it isn’t working as effectively as it should. Certain conditions, such as narrowed arteries in your heart (coronary artery disease), or high blood pressure, gradually leave your heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump efficiently.
If you, or someone you know, have been diagnosed with heart failure, help is available. Whether you’re trying to manage early symptoms, or you’re struggling with an advanced stage of this progressive disease, our home health and hospice professionals have specialized programs to improve your quality of life. The Hearts at Home program of Home Health VNA can provide nursing care and teaching, rehabilitation, medication management, exercise tips, and educational materials to help you manage symptoms and feel better. The Cardiac Program of Merrimack Valley Hospice can offer medical and emotional support, along with a variety of comfort measures so you can live more fully at home.
Let us be your trusted partner, bringing all our resources together to guide you. For more information, visit the Hearts at Home or Cardiac Program sections of this website, or discuss a referral to a specific program with your doctor.