February is Heart Health Month

February 12, 2020 | by Cbuchanan

Hospice of Hope is using February, National Heart Month, as a tool to remind you that heart disease and stroke are common diagnoses for hospice referrals.

Hospice or "comfort" care helps patients and their families navigate the complex issues associated with a prolonged illness, medical care, financial concerns, and living arrangements. Unlike other medical care, hospice focuses on treating symptoms, rather than trying to cure the illness itself.

For heart and stroke patients, a hospice referral may come from a cardiologist or neurologist. For heart patients, additional symptoms may include an inability for the heart to adequately move blood out of its chambers (recurrent congestive heart failure), chest pain at rest, history of cardiac arrest and/or resuscitation, history of unexplained fainting due to loss of blood to the brain (syncope), and irregular heart rhythms that are resistant to therapy (arrhythmias).

Stroke patients referred to hospice may have severe lack of consciousness or coma greater than three days duration, difficulty chewing or swallowing (dysphagia) that leaves the patient unable to eat enough to sustain life, and post-stroke dementia.

Talk to your doctor about if you are qualified for Hospice of Hope care. If you have any questions about our services, especially about our heart-related care, we invite you to reach out to Hospice of Hope to see if our care would be a good fit for you or your patients. Call us at 606.759.4050 to a make a referral or for more information.