Senior couple laughing together

What Is Cardiac Depression, and What Signs Should You Watch For?

/in , , ,
Senior couple laughing together

What is cardiac depression, and how can you recognize it?

When someone you love experiences a heart attack and then suffers complications like cardiac depression, you will likely want to go through a list of steps that can be taken to ensure that the damaged heart heals and the person’s lifestyle choices that contributed to the heart attack are changed. It begins with answering questions like, “What is cardiac depression? What are the main cardiac depression symptoms? Can heart problems cause depression? What can I do to prevent it?”

Harmony Home Health & Hospice often receives calls from families looking for a list of actionable items – to-do lists for care and heart health. In a scenario filled with chaos, lists give family caregivers a sense of control. They are the instruction manual for a caregiver’s new reality, helping them know what they can do to foster healing and keep another heart attack from taking place.

This information is available, and when connected with our in-home health care services, makes a significant difference in a patient’s outcome. However, there is another side to the patient’s healing that is frequently disregarded. After surviving a heart attack, patients are often overwhelmed with changes. The to-do list that provides comfort and a sense of order for the family caregiver is often a completely new set of rules to live by for the individual needing care, and will likely restrict or redefine past lifestyle choices. The overall experience of the patient living this newly-altered life can result in anger, agitation, fearfulness, or short-term depression.

If cardiac depression is suspected, it is important to notify a doctor for help and support. Below are telltale cardiac depression symptoms:

  • Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness
  • Loss of interest in day-to-day activities
  • Weight or appetite changes
  • Sleep changes – either the inability to fall or remain asleep, especially waking in the early morning hours, or oversleeping
  • Feeling “keyed up” and restless or feeling sluggish and physically slowed down
  • Self-loathing that includes strong feelings of worthlessness, or harsh criticism of perceived faults and mistakes
  • Difficulty with focusing, making decisions or memory

Handling change and making it possible for the person to achieve a sense of normalcy after a stroke or heart attack isn’t easy, but Harmony Home Health & Hospice can help. You are not alone. We are available, and we have the tools, knowledge, compassion and training you need to best help someone you love.

As the leading caregiver in Provo and the surrounding areas, Harmony Home Health & Hospice can help you care for your loved one in Albuquerque, Salt Lake City, Orem, or throughout Northern Utah or Central New Mexico after a heart attack, myocardial depression, stroke, or any other condition. We offer a variety of specialty care services and our skilled nurses, therapists, and home health aides can help determine the level of care your loved one requires. Contact us today at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE to learn more.

The Benefits of Recovering at Home After Heart Surgery

/in , , , , , , ,
Healthcare worker showing tablet to senior woman.

Recovering at home after heart surgery is easier with these tips.

Each and every day, thousands of heart surgeries take place throughout the U.S. From open heart surgery to valve repair, there are a variety of procedures available to help people preserve an engaged lifestyle in spite of a cardiac event. 

And even though there might be some hesitation in leaving the observant eyes of the hospital staff members after heart surgery, returning to the comfort of home can bring peace of mind. Recuperating in your own bed, getting more restful, uninterrupted sleep, relaxing in your favorite chair, enjoying home cooked food, and having the opportunity for fresh air are just several of the benefits of recovering at home.

Along with the detailed directions your doctor will provide before release, these heart surgery recovery guidelines can help: 

Incision Care

  • Keep the incision clean and dry.
  • The incision can be delicately washed (don’t rub) with soap. Do not use creams or lotions on incisions until after they are healed.

Relieving Pain

  • A prescription for a pain medication will be provided before discharge from the hospital.
  • Itching, tightness and/or numbness around the incision are normal after surgery.

Sleep and Diet

  • The doctor will instruct if a special diet should be followed. A regular appetite should return within a few weeks. 
  • It’s common to have difficulty sleeping for some time after surgery. Normal sleep patterns typically return within a few months. 

Swelling

  • Three times each day, raise feet up higher than heart level when resting. (An important note: recliners do not effectively elevate feet.)
  • Do not cross legs when lying in bed or sitting. This places pressure on the veins under the knees and slows blood flow.

Activity

  • Don’t lift objects greater than 20 pounds.
  • Walk every day. The health care provider or cardiac rehabilitation specialist will give instructions for walking upon returning home. 

Mental Functioning and Heart Surgery: Can Heart Problems Cause Depression?

  • The entire body, including the brain, was greatly stressed during surgery. With time, in most cases, normal cognitive functioning returns.
  • Keep an eye out for cardiac depression symptoms. Avoid situations, people, or subjects of conversation that create tension or invoke anger. The heart has to work harder when emotions are unsettled and uncomfortable.

When to Call the Physician

  • A temperature higher than 101 degrees F on more than one occasion, or chills that last for 24 hours.
  • Excessive swelling, redness, oozing or tenderness at the incision sites.
  • Increased exhaustion or shortness of breath.
  • Abnormal pain or other symptoms that are not relieved by medications.
  • If the sternum feels as though it moves, or it pops or cracks with movement. 

Harmony Home Health & Hospice, one of the leading Utah home health companies, offers a broad range of home care services to help seniors recover from heart surgery. Our skilled nurses, therapists, and home health aides are available as much or as little as needed to help with a smooth recovery process, where it’s most comfortable – at home. Our extensively trained care team provides senior care in Ogden, UT and the neighboring areas to help your loved one adhere to post-op instructions. Contact us today at 1-877-I-NEED-CARE and learn more about our top-rated home health care services. 

hands-holding-heart

How to Recognize the Symptoms of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

/in , , , , , , ,
Hands holding heart.

Flare-ups of congestive heart failure, or CHF, can cause a number of worrying side effects.

CHF, or congestive heart failure, is a health condition that occurs when the heart doesn’t pump blood as efficiently as it needs to. CHF can be the result of a few different conditions, including high blood pressure and coronary artery disease. People with CHF may experience flare-ups, or abrupt worsening of symptoms. Harmony Home Health & Hospice, top provider of Ogden elder care and care in the surrounding areas, can help seniors with CHF watch for signs of a flare-up and take action to better manage the condition. Read more

two-swans-floating-head-to-head

Take the “IF She Were a SWAN…” Challenge to Better Detect Signs of Heart Attack in Women

/in , , , ,
two-swans-floating-head-to-head

Learn the signs of heart attack in women with this easy to remember acronym.

We all know the story of the ugly duckling who ended up to be a gorgeous swan. The apparent moral of that particular story is that many things, upon first appearance, are not what they seem to be. It is with the swan’s story in mind that Harmony Home Health & Hospice encourages you to celebrate Women’s Heart Health Month with the “IF She Were a SWAN…” Challenge. Read more