Heart Failure Treatment in Elderly Patients: Options, Care and Support

Heart failure is a heart condition where the heart does not pump blood as well as it should. This causes less oxygen and nutrients to reach the body. Though it can affect people of all ages, heart failure is the leading cause of hospital stays for people over 65. Many older patients already have other heart problems that lead to failure, but heart failure can also be caused by normal aging or poor heart health habits over a lifetime. Other risks include obesity, family history of heart failure, high blood pressure and diabetes. Heart failure treatment in elderly patients can make a big difference in health and quality of life.

Early signs of heart failure in older adults are much like those in younger people. These include shortness of breath, fatigue, bloating, loss of appetite, constant cough and nausea. Some may also have mental decline or depression. Recognizing these symptoms early helps start the right heart failure treatment in elderly patients before the condition gets worse.

Heart Failure Management in Elderly Patients

Managing heart failure in older adults begins with four basic treatment steps, remembered with the acronym MICE (Medication, Intake, Charting, Exercise). These steps are important in any heart failure treatment in elderly care plan.

Medication

Ways to manage heart failure include taking prescribed medicine exactly as directed. Refill prescriptions right away to avoid missed doses. If you can’t get a refill, call your doctor immediately.

Intake

Limit sodium and fluids as your doctor tells you. Usually, heart failure patients are told to eat less than 2,000 mg of sodium and drink less than 64 ounces of fluids each day. Following these limits is a big part of heart failure treatment in elderly patients.

Charting

Check and record blood pressure and weight every day. Bring these records to all doctor visits so changes can be tracked closely.

Exercise

Stay active daily, but don’t overdo it. Walking is a good option for many seniors with heart failure. For a custom plan, try a cardiac rehab program like the one at Baptist Health. Exercise is a key part of any heart failure treatment in elderly program.

Heart Failure Treatment Options for the Elderly

Heart failure is treated with medicine and lifestyle changes. Some older patients may also benefit from cardiac rehab, especially after a heart attack. In some cases, advanced heart failure treatment in elderly patients can include devices or surgery.

Surgery options may be limited for older adults. A heart transplant is rarely given after age 70. But a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) – a mechanical pump that moves blood from the heart to the rest of the body – can help some patients even into their 80s. This device can improve symptoms and sometimes even reverse heart failure. It can be a life-changing heart failure treatment in elderly patients who cannot get a transplant.

How to Help an Elderly Loved One with Heart Failure

If someone you love has heart failure, you can help by:

• Going to appointments with them.
  
• Helping track their daily charts.
  
• Asking the doctor questions to better understand their condition.
  
• Watching for drug interactions when medicines change.
  
• Visiting often enough to notice changes in activity, swelling, fluid intake, or mood.
  
• Reporting any changes to their doctor.
  

Support from family and friends is an important part of heart failure treatment in elderly patients. Heart failure in older adults has many challenges – but help is available. At the Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute, we offer complete care for people with heart failure.