Getting support

There are many different sources of support available for people with heart failure and their caregivers. Healthcare professionals often know about various groups and programmes available in your community and so you may wish to discuss these with your doctor or nurse. Additional information can be found in the Living With Heart Failure and Family and Caregiver sections.

Are there any local support groups that I can contact and attend?
Your doctor will be able to put you in contact with your local support group, who will have regular meetings run by specialist nurses and/or other patients. During these meetings, you will learn more about the day-to-day management of your heart failure and be able to share your experiences with other heart failure patients.

Do I have access to a heart failure management programme at my hospital?
Many hospitals have a multidisciplinary outpatient heart failure management programme organised by nurses and cardiologists in cooperation with other related services such as primary care physicians, physiotherapists, pharmacists, dieticians, geriatricians and social workers. These programmes usually manage people with relatively serious symptoms. You doctor or nurse will be able to tell you if such a programme is available and appropriate for you.

ESC Guidelines for Heart Failure

What patients need to know

This guide for patients from the European Society of Cardiology aims to provide an overview of the latest evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure.

In particular, it should help patients to understand the:

  • main types of heart failure
  • medicines used to treat heart failure
  • devices that may be appropriate
  • importance of rehabilitation
  • management by a multidisciplinary team
  • importance of self-care in managing your own condition

Learn more

AN ANIMATED JOURNEY THROUGH HEART FAILURE

A series of 9 simple, captivating animations explaining heart failure and its treatment.

These narrated animations explain how a healthy heart works, what happens to it in heart failure and how various treatments work to improve your health.

PATIENT AND CAREGIVERS VIDEOS

In this section you can watch, listen or read interviews with other people with heart failure and their caregivers.

VISIT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE

and share your own views and experiences with other patients, families and caregivers.

heartfailurematters.org is a European Society of Cardiology website

The heartfailurematters.org website was developed under the direction of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). The ESC is a world leader in the discovery and dissemination of best practices in cardiovascular medicine. Our members and decision-makers are healthcare professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to represent professionals in the field of cardiology in Europe and beyond.

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