Caregiving for a Heart Attack Patient Whether your loved one has suffered a mild heart attack or is recovering from heart surgery, you will be needed to help manage his daily activities and diet. Here’s what to do, when to help, and how to get a heart attack patient back up on his feet again. If your loved one has suffered a heart attack, he or she will need rest, help with meals and chores and, most importantly, understanding. If your loved one has had surgery, they need to rest. Remember that it could take eight weeks before they feels like their old selves again. Here are a few expert tips for helping your loved one cope and recover from a heart attack: If your loved one has had a heart attack, they should eat a healthier diet that’s lower in cholesterol, fat and sodium, says Ajanta De, M.D., an interventional cardiologist with Loyola University Health Systems near Chicago. “Go shopping together for healthy foods, plan meals together, check food labels and cook together,” he says. “It’s easier to eat healthy if everyone else in the family is doing it too.”’ “Take a walk together every night,” advises Brian Kahn, M.D., a Baltimore, Md.-based cardiologist with the Heart Center at Overlea. It’s a great way to get exercise, relax and give your loved one some special attention and encouragement, he says. “Help your loved one attend rehab, even if it means driving a long way every day,” says Rim Al-Bezim, M.D. They’ll learn healthy lifestyle habits that can help prevent a second heart attack. Make sure they take their medications. If they take several medications, figure out a system to make it easier to remember when to take them. Go to doctor’s appointments with them so you can stay informed. It is often difficult to remember everything so write down any questions or concerns you may have before you go and take notes during the appointment. Source: Lifescript
Posted on: Wed, 09 Oct 2013 15:43:09 +0000
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