By Rhonda Trexler, MS, RN, COS-C, CCP WHAT IS HEART FAILURE? Heart failure, also known as Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), does not mean the heart has stopped working. It means that the heart’s pumping power is less than normal and cannot pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body or cannot fill with enough blood. When the right side of the heart weakens, the blood coming from the body to the heart can get backed
For families considering care for a loved one whose health is declining, hospice is a scary word. Kathy Baker, Vice President of Hospice and Palliative Care for Home Nursing Agency, sheds light on hospice care and how it can benefit patients and families. Does enrolling in hospice shorten someone’s life? People think that when someone goes on hospice, they are going to die right away. The truth is that hospice does not affect life span
What There Is To Know Before Ostomy Surgery by Leslie P. Wilson MS, RN, CWOCN, Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurse Research from Ostomy Wound Management (May and October 2015 issues) suggests adjusting to living with an ostomy benefits from what to expect before the surgery. If you or someone you know is having surgery which will lead to an intestinal stoma or ostomy, whether it is temporary or permanent, consider asking the following of the healthcare professional before surgery: