Finding out your loved one has congestive heart failure can be a troubling time. The question is, what can you do to help your loved one and the rest of our family survive this debilitating disease process?

Family Support

Your loved one needs your support now more than ever. Laughter is known to be the best medicine when someone is anxious or depressed due to recent diagnoses from their physician. When someone is told they have a life threatening illness they often become withdrawn, depressed about missing out on future events, and anxious that their end is drawing near without them being able to do things they have always dreamt of doing.

Being there to support your loved one both mentally and physically will make a world of difference in their quality of life. Supporting your loved one can include taking them to doctors appointments. The key to being supportive in this example is doing more than just being transportation. You actually need to go to the appointment and give your loved one a shoulder to cry on and a hand to hold.

Fortunately, congestive heart failure is not always a death sentence. Even if your loved one has a degree of the condition that isn't considered life threatening, it may be hard for them to get over the emotional struggles associated with accepting they have this condition. The best thing you can do for your loved one is to go with them to the doctor's appointments and ask questions to better understand the situation.

Lifestyle Changes

With the exception of receiving a heart transplant, congestive heart failure is not a disease with a cure. However, appropriate lifestyle chances – including those to your loved one's diet and physical activity levels – can impact the diagnosis and the lifespan they are expected to have. Be involved in your loved one's diagnosis and learn what foods the doctor does not want them to have and what physical limitations they now face. For example, congestive heart failure tends to go hand-in-hand with fluid retention, so do not let your loved one eat foods that are high in sodium.

While sitting around and getting no physical activity is bad for anyone's heart, it is especially troublesome for someone with congestive heart failure. Speak to the doctor to discuss how much exercise is safe for your loved one and then create an exercise plan that you and your loved one can enjoy together. Regular – but not strenuous – activity will do wonders for someone with congestive heart failure.

Congestive heart failure is a major illness without a cure. However, thanks to modern medicine there are many treatments available on the market. For more information about the challenges your loved one may be facing, contact a facility such as Holly Heights Nursing Home.