Heart Disease & Hospice
How Hospice East Bay helps people living with Heart Disease
Support for Patients
- Treating shortness of breath with medications, oxygen therapy, or air circulation tools like fans.
- Reducing swelling (often in the legs) with medications like diuretics or by elevating the legs.
- Managing discomfort and pain caused by fluid buildup or other complications.
- Addressing emotional concerns, such as anxiety or depression related to the disease.
- Supplying hospital beds, oxygen, or other tools to enhance comfort.
- Covering medications to ease symptoms like pain, swelling, and anxiety.
- Helping patients transition to focusing on quality of life when curative treatments are no longer effective or desired.
- Our Bruns House inpatient facility provides short-term intensive treatment in a homelike setting for management of uncontrolled symptoms.
Support for Families & Caregivers
- Teaching families how to manage symptoms like swelling, shortness of breath, and fatigue.
- Explaining what to expect as the disease progresses, so families can feel prepared.
- Showing how to safely give medications or use oxygen therapy.
- Offering tips to make patients more comfortable, like using fans or adjusting positioning to ease breathing.
- Helping families recognize signs that indicate it’s time to call hospice for additional help or emergencies.
- Providing access to social workers and spiritual care providers to help families cope with the emotional challenges of caregiving.
- Offering 24/7 access to hospice staff for guidance, reassurance, or emergencies.
Support for Veterans
- Hospice East Bay’s Veteran-Centered Care program helps veterans living with heart disease by addressing the unique challenges they may face, such as navigating the VA healthcare system, and ensuring they have access to programs that provide caregiver support and compensation.
- Heart disease is considered a presumptive condition for veterans who served in certain conflicts, like Vietnam, meaning it is presumed to be linked to their military service.
- Veterans may qualify for VA compensation and healthcare, which can include caregiving support and additional resources to ease the burden on families.
- Hospice East Bay works closely with veterans to address not just physical symptoms but also the emotional and psychological impacts of advanced heart disease, offering tailored care to meet their unique needs.
How to Qualify
Hospice Care helps people living with advanced heart disease when treatment is no longer effective, or they choose to focus on comfort and quality of life. You or your loved one may qualify for hospice care if:
- Struggling with basic activities like moving from bed to chair or sitting up.
- Unable to do any physical activity without discomfort.
- Feeling short of breath, even at rest or while speaking.
- Needing oxygen therapy to relieve symptoms.
- Swelling in the legs or ankles (edema).
- Frequent dizziness or fainting (syncope).
- A history of irregular heart rhythms or cardiac arrest.
- Diagnosed as New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class IV, meaning symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath occur even while resting.
- The heart’s pumping ability (ejection fraction) is 20% or less (in some cases, other heart issues may qualify even with a higher ejection fraction).
Hospice care focuses on easing symptoms, improving comfort, and providing emotional support for patients and families. If you’re unsure about eligibility, hospice professionals can help guide you through the decision.
How Palliative Care Can Help
- Emotional and psychosocial support includes counseling to address anxiety, depression, or fear related to the disease.
- Symptom management and relief focuses on reducing pain and other challenging symptoms while enhancing the patient’s overall quality of life.
- Goals-of-care discussions identify what it means for the patient to live well—their goals, values, and treatment preferences—to support informed decision-making by patients and families.
- Care coordination with the appropriate specialists (such as oncologists, neurologists, or primary care providers) to align treatment with the patient’s goals and evolving needs.
- Transition planning for when curative treatments are no longer effective or meeting the patient’s goals and values.
- Future planning and advance directives involve supporting patients in designating healthcare decision-makers and completing medical and legal planning documents.
Hospice East Bay ensures that patients with Heart Disease receive compassionate, tailored care while families feel supported, educated, and prepared for the journey ahead.
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