Answering questions like these takes time, but they can be a healthy sign that patients are ready to take a more active role in protecting their health.
Outlook can affect outcomes. When patients feel a sense of loss for things they once enjoyed that they think they can no longer do--or feel powerless to control what's happening to them--it's difficult to motivate compliance and sustain the changes necessary to reduce risks.
When it's no longer a question of preventing heart disease, but how to deal with it, perhaps one of the best answers is to refer patients to a good cardiac rehab program where they can learn how to help themselves get healthier as active participants in their recovery.
"I had one patient who seem depressed, thinking his life was over because he thought he'd never play golf again. His doctor wanted him to do this 'rehab stuff," but he didn't think it would work," said Maggie Parker, R.N., director of Cardiac Rehab at Trinity Medical Center. "After meeting some of our heart alumnae volunteers and seeing how well they were doing, he began to see the possibilities. He started our Healthy You program, and now he's back to golfing. He keeps stopping by to tell us how well it's working and how much better he's feeling."
Trinity has received numerous awards for heart care, and the Cardiac Rehab program builds on that success by helping patients make the transition to more independence in doing the things they need to do to be healthier.
"Patients usually come to us about a month after surgery. Our job is to help them regain their strength, prevent a decline in their condition, and show them how to use tools like nutrition and exercise to reduce the risk of future problems and build a better quality of life. We answer their questions about medications and supplements. As they really get serious about regaining their health, we help them set and meet realistic goals. We also help them deal with individual issues like smoking cessation, and managing diabetes, stress and other risk factors."
Group support also makes a big contribution.
"It gets to be like family. There's so much camaraderie between our heart and lung patients, and they encourage each other. The Healthy You program includes two free weeks at the gym where they can exercise with other heart patients and have the security of knowing there is a nurse to take their blood pressure and make sure they are doing okay. There's a heart aerobics class, water aerobics, yoga, Tai Chi and other activities they can do, and we help them plan how they can continue to be active."
As patients begin to see improvements in their quality of life, feeling better can become a motivation in itself to continue being a more active participant in their own health.