Palliative care is specialized medical care for people facing a serious illness like CHF. The goal is to improve quality of life for both you and your family. You can have palliative care at any age and at any stage of your illness. You can also have it together with curative treatment.

Palliative care is provided by a team of palliative care doctors, nurses and social workers. They work together with your cardiologist (heart specialist) to give you an extra layer of support.

The team has a wide variety of approaches to treating congestive heart failure symptoms. These may include medicines, but not always.

Palliative care teams are expertly trained to manage symptoms, side effects and stresses. For example, they may perform highly effective lymphatic drainage. This is a technique for reducing leg swelling and its associated pain.

They’ll educate you about how to stand, sit and lie down to improve your breathing. They’ll also train you in the use of fans, relaxation methods, meditation and breathing exercises to decrease any anxiety or panic that may accompany feelings of breathlessness.

 

Additional Benefits of Palliative Care for CHF

Palliative care is also there to guide you and your loved ones through all the distress caused by CHF. The team will help you navigate the complex health care system. They will keep you, your family and all of your doctors informed, up to date and on the same page.

Palliative care specialists can help you plan in advance because CHF episodes can become worse, sudden and unpredictable. In fact, one of the most important things your palliative care team can do is help you fully discuss your health with your family caregivers.

The team will use its communication expertise to help you achieve your personal goals while living with the disease.  They understand that every patient and every family is different. The team is there to help you and your family achieve the best possible quality of life as you live with CHF.