Age Well - Heart Failure rehabilitation services report

Healthwatch Herefordshire carried out a project in partnership with Wye Valley Trust to gather the views and experiences of Herefordshire people that have experienced Heart Failure rehabilitation. They aimed to look at ongoing self-management and engagements in Heart Failure care. Eight people shared their experience of living with heart failure and Wye valley trust rehabilitation services.

The majority of sentiments were positive but there were negative sentiments and comments too. Positive sentiments included ‘excellent and professional and friendly service’ neutral sentiments expressed mixed views. Negative sentiments cited administration difficulties, access difficulties (meshing with bus services), and delays due to the need for GP re-referral.

Aspects that people found most useful included ‘everything’, ‘exercise’, ‘location’, ‘staff’, ‘discipline taught’, ‘information’, ‘practical help and support’, ‘communication’ and ‘meeting others’. What people would add to the programme included ‘follow up advice’, ‘practical support with change in lifestyle’, ‘more information’, ‘communication’ and ‘access’ and ‘nothing to add’. Other support that people had included ‘self’, ‘family’, organisations such as Halo, ‘books’, ‘other medical’ and some people have ‘no other support’.

People were comfortable managing many aspects of their condition including ‘most things’ ‘medication’, ‘exercise’, ‘appointments’, ‘blood tests’, ‘blood pressure’, ‘motivation’, and ‘most things with family support’. A few people said they struggled with nothing. Aspects patients struggle with were ‘to not overdo myself climbing stairs and walking distances’, ‘the mental toll it takes’ and ‘how low exercise tolerance affect well-being and causes weight gain’.

Views on virtual care revealed that there was a marked preference for face to face especially for those with no computer knowledge though some felt it was good without reservation. People were split roughly 50:50 about the importance of social support: some people were emphatically against it, and one commented there wasn't really any other choice. (Because only group sessions were available).

People kept up their self-help activities and motivation by family support, GP surgery, Hereford hospital rehab team, Halo leisure centre, physiotherapists, and exercises, ‘self-motivation’ and ‘wanting to stay alive’ and hobbies and interests.

The report contains seven recommendations about the timing of rehabilitation sessions, practical support about lifestyle, how to understand and adapt to the mental health effects of heart failure, access to information, referrals and communication by GPs, remote care and receiving feedback from patients.