Heart Disease Care in Devon

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death both in the UK and worldwide.

It’s responsible for more than 73,000 deaths in the UK each year. About 1 in 6 men and 1 in 10 women die from CHD.

In the UK, there are an estimated 2.3 million people living with CHD and around 2 million people affected by angina (the most common symptom of coronary heart disease).

CHD generally affects more men than women, although from the age of 50 the chances of developing the condition are similar for both sexes.

As well as angina (chest pain), the main symptoms of CHD are heart attacks and heart failure. However, not everyone has the same symptoms and some people may not have any before CHD is diagnosed. CHD is sometimes called ischaemic heart disease.

What is heart disease?

The heart is a muscle about the size of your fist. It pumps blood around your body and beats approximately 70 times a minute. After the blood leaves the right side of the heart, it goes to your lungs where it picks up oxygen.

The oxygen-rich blood returns to your heart and is then pumped to the body’s organs through a network of arteries. The blood returns to your heart through veins before being pumped back to your lungs again. This process is called circulation.

The heart gets its own supply of blood from a network of blood vessels on the heart’s surface called coronary arteries.

Coronary heart disease is the term that describes what happens when your heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries.

Over time, the walls of your arteries can become furred up with fatty deposits. This process is known as atherosclerosis and the fatty deposits are called atheroma.

Atherosclerosis can be caused by lifestyle factors and other conditions, such as: Smoking; high cholesterol; high blood pressure; diabetes.

Our Heart disease care

At Home Care Preferred we understand that living, or caring for a loved one, with a heart condition can be a very stressful and daunting time. That is why our team members are fully equipped to minimise the disruption a diagnosis can cause by providing those affected with the support to cope, and manage the daily challenges, heart disease can cause. Our people centred approach allows our support assistants to deliver the right medical, emotional and physical support needed by their client in familiar surroundings, enabling them to continue enjoying full control over their lives and live as comfortably as possible with their condition.

As well as offering medical and practical support where necessary, our support assistants also offer emotional support, companionship and encouragement. This is why we pair clients with support assistants who have a complementary personality, as well as possessing the relevant skill set.

Our Heart disease care includes:

Support with personal care that is tailored to each individual
Visiting care that can adapt as your needs change, supporting complex medication and physiotherapy regimes
Short regular visits through to longer visits, night care, respite or a full time live in carer
Specialist support assistants who are trained to help you and your family understand the complexities of heart conditions

The differing needs of each heart disease sufferer can make it difficult to choose the support and home care suitable for you or your loved one. It is natural to have many questions and reservations about welcoming a support assistant into your home. Our friendly, highly experienced, team members are always on hand to explain all aspects of the care and support services we offer, and to provide quality, impartial advice and information when required.

Find out more information about heart conditions from https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/conditions