Blog > Managing Your Parent’s Congestive Heart Failure with Homecare

Managing Your Parent's Congestive Heart Failure with Homecare

If your parent has been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, you were both probably scared when she received that diagnosis. Many people think the heart is no longer working when they hear the words “heart failure.” While it is indeed a serious diagnosis, the good news is that is only means your parent’s heart is having a hard time working at its full capacity and you, your parent and their homecare aide can take steps to help her heart work better, especially if it’s in the early stages of the disease.

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It does indeed need to be taken very seriously, because as it worsens, her heart will struggle more with pumping blood through the body and getting oxygen to all of her organs.

So, if you and your parent are looking at how to best manage this new diagnosis, here are some ways to manage the disease while working with her doctor to receive the best care and treatment.

Keep her blood pressure low.

Your parent’s doctor may prescribe medication or suggest other holistic ways to help your parent keep her blood pressure from rising and causing strain on her heart. If stress and other emotional triggers elevate your parent’s blood pressure, look for ways you can help her reduce stress. It might be eliminating extremely negative influences from her life (people or even the news) or it could be helping her find relief for certain tasks, such as cleaning the house or taking care of a pet. A home care provider can be a great resource for this.

Limit sodium in her diet.

Sodium can cause fluid retention, one of the main side effects of congestive heart failure. And sodium doesn’t only live in the salt shaker on your parent’s table. Most sodium comes from processed foods to retain freshness and increase flavor. Having a shopping companion such as yourself or a home care provider, help your parent find foods that are low in sodium will help her keep this area of her health under control.

Lose weight if obese.

If your parent is obese, work with her doctor on the best course to help her lose a few pounds. This will cause less pressure on her blood vessels.

Monitor weight.

It’s also important for your parent to know what her weight should be when she’s not retaining fluids. A sudden increase in weight due to fluid retention could indicate that the disease is getting worse. Your parent should weigh herself daily, in the same clothes and at the same time so she can track any new weight gains. A weight gain of 3 pounds in one day or five pounds in a week should be addressed with her doctor as soon as possible.

Reduce fluid intake.

If your parent’s body is congested with a lot of excessive fluid, you might want to help her reduce the amount of fluids she drinks during the day. The more fluid she carries in her blood vessels, the harder her heart has to work to pump those fluids throughout the body.

Have homecare providers reminder her of her medications.

And finally, help your parent stay on top of her medications and take them as prescribed by her doctor. Having a daily medication dispenser that either you or her homecare provider can check to make sure she’s taken her medication each day is one easy way to ensure she’s staying on track with those medications.