Friday 23 November, 2012
Caring in the community
A morning with a heart failure
nurse
We support
over 300 heart failure specialist nurses across the UK. Senior
Research Communications Officer Ben Kolb tells us more about
the difference they are making.
Working on our Mending Broken
Hearts Appeal means I spend a lot of time explaining the
research behind the Appeal and heart failure – the condition we hope
to cure. However, until I spent a morning with a
heart failure nurse, I didn’t fully appreciate the impact heart
failure can have on a person’s life.
I met Leonia (right), a heart failure specialist nurse, at a south west
London clinic. This is her patch – she travels around the area
visiting people in their homes but also holds consultations in
clinics for local people to attend. Leonia has been supported by us
for six years.
Supporting people with heart failure
It was fascinating to learn how helpful our
support can be – from providing specialist training and resources
to giving advice and support at a time when a patient
needs it most. Leonia cares for people in their own homes
and at clinics which hopefully helps to prevent what can be lengthy
hospital stays. Nurses like Leonia can assess people, checking how
they’re coping with their heart failure symptoms, and give them
support and information to improve their quality of
life.
Heart failure
is a chronic condition often caused by the damage left by a heart
attack – if your heart is unable to pump blood properly around the
body, it can cause long-term suffering and take
away the everyday tasks most people take for granted. I shadowed
Leonia when she visited an elderly lady in her home. This lady was
reliant on a full-time carer and had trouble getting around in her
flat. But it was amazing to see how she perked up around Leonia and
the district nurse.
Our heart failure nurses provide more
than just a medical service. They offer support and a
personalised approach – Leonia cares a lot about her patients and
each one requires different care.
Later in the morning when another lady visited
Leonia at the clinic – she was someone who Leonia had cared for
five or six years previously. They both remembered each other and
there was clearly a bond between them. Leonia can be a
lifeline for her patients, someone who will listen and
help, someone who is always on their side – it’s difficult for a
hospital that treats thousands but Leonia cares for
individuals.
Finding a cure for heart failure
Heart failure can mean you can’t do normal
everyday things like making a cup of tea or walking to the shops
but it fills me with pride to know that we support people like
Leonia who are making a difference every day. Our Mending Broken
Hearts Appeal desperately needs your support if,
through research, we’re to come up with a cure for this often
devastating condition. Our support for nurses gives people with
heart failure hope for today and the science we’re funding offers
hope for the future.
Find out more about
our Mending Broken Hearts Appeal