Need a Heart to Heart? How to Take Care of a Heart Patient at Home

Heart disease is a dangerous illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people from marginalized communities. In fact, one American dies every 34 seconds from cardiovascular disease.

Taking care of a loved one with heart disease is not easy. This guide provides the tools and resources you and other caretakers need to learn about how to care of a heart patient at home. In addition, this also provides a glance about the top skill you find in a job description for a caregiver who deals with heart patients.

The First Step: Understand Heart Condition

If you’re taking care of a loved one, such as a family member, at home, you need to understand the heart condition your loved one has.

Heart disease refers to a variety of conditions that can affect a person’s heart. The most common types of heart condition include coronary artery disease (CAD), congenital heart disease, and heart failure.

When you have trouble with your heart, you can have trouble with different sections of heart, such as heart muscle, valves, or even the heart’s electrical system. An unhealthy heart has trouble sending enough blood, which is filled with oxygen and nutrients, to different organs in your body.

Imagine a car not getting enough fuel to run smoothly. The blood is the body’s fuel. If it is not delivered properly, then there is a problem with the body.

However, making lifestyle changes and taking the right medication can keep your heart healthy and decrease your risk of heart disease.

Different types of heart conditions include:

Coronary artery disease

Fatty substances, saturated fat, and cholesterol build up on the artery walls and narrowing blood vessels, reducing blood to the heart muscle.

Arrhythmias

These are abnormal heart rhythms which can start in different parts of your heart. These rhythms can be too fast, too slow, or too irregular.

Heart valve diseases

These are conditions which keep your blood from flowing in the correct direction. Some common types of valve diseases include narrowing (stenosis), backward flow (regurgitation), or floppy valves which do not close tightly (prolapse).

Cardiomyopathy

A heart condition where your heart muscle can’t adeptly pump blood (remember the car fuel) to the rest of the body. Those with cardiomyopathy may experience fatigue, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations.

Congestive Heart Failure

This is a long-term illness which occurs when your heart isn’t able to pump blood adequately through the body. Instead, the blood collects in the lungs and legs. This condition can be time-limiting for many.

Congenital heart disease (CHD)

This is a heart condition people are born with at birth. Some have more serious CHD than others. However, all CHD conditions prevent the normal flow of blood through the heart.

Pericardium

This condition has to do with issues with the fluid-filled sac surrounding the heart and the roots of the major blood vessels which extend from your heart.

Medication Management for Heart Patients at Home

Besides understanding the heart condition of your loved one, it’s also vital to manage the medication your loved one is taking. Specific medication can lower the risk of another cardiac event or heart attack.

Therefore, it’s important to be knowledgeable about the medications, so you can make sure your loved one takes the medication correctly. Here are some of the common medications a heart patient may use:

Beta-Blockers

These medications target high-blood pressure (also known as hypertension). As an added effect, some beta-blockers help relax blood vessels, which can also help lower blood pressure.

Antithrombotics (anti-platelet/anti-coagulant medications)

These kinds of medications help prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries, vein, or in the heart

Many have had minor heart surgery, such as angioplasty or putting in stents, to open up the arteries. These medications are needed to keep these arteries open.

Ace inhibitors

This type of medication treats high-blood pressure heart failure by hindering the body’s production of angiotensin, which is a body chemical that causes the arteries to constrict. This causes the blood flow to be difficult.

Statins

These medications target high cholesterol by removing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is also known as “bad” cholesterol.

Heart-Healthy Meal Planning for Home Care

You can also support your loved one by helping them follow a heart-healthy diet. Some dietary suggestions include:

Calorie intake

A patient, with a heart condition, should use up as many calories as he or she eats each day. This will help maintain a person’s weight.

Usually, people should follow a 2000-calorie-per-day-diet. However, your loved one may need to take in fewer calories depending on age, gender, and the loved one’s level of physical activity.

Typically, a person should have 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of robust physical activity. The goal is to stay active.

Eat a Heart, Healthy Diet

Your loved ones should eat healthy meals, even if eating at a restaurant or purchasing a prepared meal. The healthy foods diet should encompass:

• Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Prepare meals with whole grains and products made up mostly of whole grains.
• Dishes should include healthy sources of protein, such as nuts, seafood (including fish), and lean and unprocessed poultry.
• Minimally-processed foods.
• Minimize the intake of added sugars.
• Ensure the food is cooked with little or no salt.
• Restricted (but preferably no) alcohol.

It is also wise to read the nutrition facts and the ingredient list on any packaged food labels to make sure your loved ones are consuming the proper sustenance. Also, look for the Heart-Check mark to make sure the food has been certified by the American Heart Association.

Stay Hydrated

Patients, who have heart conditions, should stay hydrated, especially in the summer months.

Being thirsty is a normal function of a person’s body; it helps maintain the balance of fluids in the body. However, for those who have a heart condition, thirst can be caused by fluid restriction.

Dehydration makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the body, which can be dangerous for heart patients.

Your loved one’s hydration should come from water. Sports drinks like Gatorade or PowerAde should be avoided, unless a doctor says otherwise. These drinks have salt and added sugar.

Also, a doctor may limit a patient’s liquid intake to 1.5 to 2 liters a day as a patient’s heart condition becomes worse.

Other types of fluid a patient may drink could include:

• Sparkling water (no sodium or added sugar).
• Milk.
• Soups and broth.
• Ice cream and sherbert.
• Popsicles.
• Frozen yogurt.
• Gelatin desserts (Jell-O).
• Tea and coffee (limit caffeine).
• Soft drinks (limit quantity).

Mental and Emotional Support

When caring for your loved one, it’s essential to help your loved one with their mental and emotional well-being.

Medical experts say stress is among the top risk factors for heart disease.

That’s why your loved ones, who have heart disease, need a holistic approach for treatment. This includes focusing on the patient’s emotional and mental landscape or physical well-being.

To provide a patient with mental and emotional support, a caregiver should help a patient develop strong support networks and also assist the patient in seeking professional help.

There are also support groups online and in many communities which can provide numerous other resources.

A caregiver can also assist by doing the following:

• Know and understand that change takes time.
• Following the health care team’s advice.
• Participate in hospital and office visits.
• Help your loved one keep track of information.
• Communicate with the health care team. Keep them updated with your loved one’s progress.

Role of Professional Home Care Services

As the caregiver, your service is instrumental in managing your loved one’s heart conditions. There are a number of caregiving duties for you to complete.

Remember, for the patient, living with heart failure is difficult for any patient, and the patient needs as much help as he or she can get.

You would need to monitor your loved one’s day-to-day health. This includes checking the patient’s vital signs such as his or her blood pressure and heart rate. Any subtle changes can signal for a change in your loved one’s treatment.

In addition, you will be the one handling the patient’s medication, ensuring your loved one is taking the correct medication on time. Dietary planning is also an important part of caregiving.

Taking care of a heart patient at home is both a challenge and an act of love. Whether you’re managing medications, preparing heart-healthy meals, or simply offering emotional support, your role as a caregiver makes a real difference. By staying informed, communicating with healthcare professionals, and creating a supportive environment, you can help your loved one live a fuller, healthier life, one beat at a time.

All American Home Care is among the top home health care agencies in the United States. It provides the best services to help their patients feel safe, secure, and comfortable. The employees are dedicated to providing the support needed to help their patients in their most vulnerable times.