This problem develops slowly, over time. It’s usually a chronic, long-term condition. The term “congestive” means that as either or both of the heart’s right or left lower chambers (ventricles) fail, blood backs up into — or congests — the liver, abdomen, lower extremities and lungs.

The backing up of blood causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness and leg swelling. Other symptoms develop as the body tries to compensate for the heart's reduced pumping ability. The heart beats faster, its muscle thickens and the ventricles may stretch to accommodate more blood. Damage to the ventricles may cause them to pump out of sync, further reducing the efficient delivery of blood to the body.

Your best defense against heart failure is to prevent or control risk factors and aggressively manage any underlying conditions such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or obesity. 

 

Cape Cod Healthcare’s Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) Disease Management Program helps you do that. Patients in this program have a dedicated care manager assigned to work with them, their family and their physician to help monitor and control the progression and complications associated with CHF. They also have access to the care of a VNA of Cape Cod nurse whenever needed. While the physician often develops the treatment plan, the disease management program's care manager monitors the effectiveness and coordinates the care involved.

 

There is a process for identifying patients for the CHF Program. Patients who have been admitted to the hospital with CHF are targets, as are those with three emergency room or outpatient visits in one year. Patients are also referred by inpatient case managers, skilled nursing facilities and by VNA case managers.