What does cardiac rehab involve?

Cardiac rehabilitation doesn’t change your past, but it can help you improve your heart’s future.

Vanessa home Health Services include stroke aftercare, which is designed to improve your cardiovascular health if you have experienced a heart attack, heart failure, angioplasty or heart surgery. 

However, home health professionals can only help you during the recovery period. The main role in your rehab process is yours.
Cardiac rehab has three equally important parts:

• Exercise counseling and training: Exercise gets your heart pumping and your entire cardiovascular system working. 
• Education for heart-healthy living: A key element of cardiac rehab is educating yourself: how you can manage your risk factors, quit smoking, make heart-healthy nutrition choices, etc.
• Counseling to reduce stress: Stress hurts your heart. This part of cardiac rehab helps you identify and tackle everyday sources of stress.

But it doesn’t mean that you need to face heart disease alone. Cardiac rehab is a team effort.

Having returned home from a medical facility, you can partner with Vanessa Home Health’s physical therapy specialists, nurses, pharmacists – plus family and friends – to take charge of the choices, lifestyle and habits that affect your heart.

• Here’s how to get going and make the most of cardiac rehab:
• Ask your doctor/case manager if you are eligible for home health services.
• If you are, ask for a referral.
• Work together to create a cardiac rehab plan.
• Keep taking your medicines correctly.
• Call 911 if you experience new or worsening symptoms.