Chronic Heart Failure
New resource for patients and carers
The Heart Foundation has launched its new booklet "Living well with chronic heart failure". It is designed to help people with chronic heart failure better understand and manage their condition. It also makes it easier for health professionals to discuss symptom management, lifestyle changes, medicines, other treatments and other issues.
A key feature is the "action plan" which clearly instructs patients the important things to watch out for everyday, and when it is critical to call their health professional or ambulance.
This new resource was developed together with clinical heart failure experts, and has been tested with health professionals and consumers.
A summary version which includes the action plan (Information Sheet) and key sections from the booklet itself can be downloaded for use by health professionals (see 'Resources' below).
For a copy of the booklet "Living well with chronic heart failure", email us or call 1300 36 27 87.
Guidelines
Guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of chronic heart failure (CHF) were developed by the Heart Foundation and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand.
The guidelines were developed for GPs, cardiologists, nurses and other health professionals involved in the care of patients with CHF in Australia. They aim to help health professionals improve the management of patients with CHF and ultimately, health outcomes and quality of life.
These guidelines have been endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Heart Support Australia (HSA), Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA), Internal Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (IMSANZ) and Australian Cardiac Rehabilitation Association (ACRA).
These guidelines are available for downloading by clicking the link below (under the 'Resources').
Resources
- Guidelines for the prevention, detection and management of chronic heart failure in Australia (2006)
Download - Information Sheet including Action Plan - Summary version of booklet "Living well with chronic heart failure" (2008) Download
- Symptoms of chronic heart failure (section from the consumer booklet) Download
- Lifestyle issues (section from the consumer booklet) Download
- Monitoring and controlling fluid balance (section from the consumer booklet) Download
- Medicines (section from the consumer booklet) Download
- Commonly asked questions (section from the consumer booklet) Download