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Hospice Care for Heart Disease
End-stage heart disease can be physically and emotionally overwhelming for both patients and their families. Because symptoms of congestive heart failure vary widely, Elation Hospice & Palliative Care provides personalized support tailored to each patient’s needs.
Our care team works closely with patients and caregivers to manage pain, relieve distressing symptoms, and enhance quality of life. Services may include emotional and spiritual support, help with daily activities, and coordinated care for co-existing health conditions—ensuring comfort and dignity throughout the final stages of heart disease.
Compassionate End-of-Life Care
When to Consider Hospice Care for a Congestive Heart Failure Patient
Hospice is often recommended by a physician when heart failure has progressed to a point where no further treatments are effective or when symptoms become too burdensome. Families may also request a hospice evaluation if symptoms are no longer manageable at home.
Early planning helps ensure your loved one receives the right care at the right time. Elation Hospice & Palliative Care works alongside families and healthcare providers to supplement care, improve symptom management, and support caregivers. Starting hospice earlier often leads to better coordination, comfort, and overall satisfaction for both the patient and their family.
While discussing hospice can be difficult, open conversations help families make informed choices. Important considerations include:
- The patient’s preferences for end-of-life living arrangements
- Goals for symptom and pain management
- Caregiver responsibilities and available financial support
Elation Hospice & Palliative Care is here to guide you through these decisions with compassion and clarity.
Eligibility for Hospice Services for Heart Disease
The primary eligibility requirement for hospice care is a physician’s prognosis of six months or less to live. For patients with advanced heart disease, additional signs that hospice may be appropriate include frequent chest pain, worsening heart function, and a gradual decline in daily functioning. A cardiac specialist can evaluate these factors and help determine if hospice is the right next step.
Elation Hospice & Palliative Care supports patients who have stopped curative treatment for heart conditions—whether due to medical limitations or personal choice. For those still pursuing treatment, palliative care may be a more appropriate option. Hospice enrollment is a collaborative decision made by the patient, their loved ones, and their cardiac care team, ensuring care aligns with the patient’s goals and values.
Characteristics of patients with end-stage heart disease
Fatigue or heart palpitations when the patient is at rest
Angina or dyspnea during exercise or when at rest
The inability to carry out normal activities without experiencing dyspnea or other serious symptoms
Comforting Hospice Care for heart disease
Other common comorbid conditions include:
Some patients experience comorbid conditions that occur alongside chronic heart failure. These conditions may increase the likelihood of a hospice referral after a heart attack or cardiac disease diagnosis. A history of cardiac arrest or syncope could indicate the patient is in end-stage cardiac failure.
- Hypertension
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- Myocardial infarction
- Valvular heart disease
- Stroke
- Cardiogenic brain embolism
- The presence of other diseases, such as cancer, HIV, dementia, COPD, renal failure or liver failure
Where Heart Failure Patients Can Access End-of-Life Care
Elation Hospice & Palliative Care provides services wherever the patient calls home—whether it's their own residence, a family member’s home, or an assisted living community. Short-term care may also be arranged during a hospital stay, depending on the situation.
A key goal of hospice care is to maximize comfort and maintain a sense of familiarity. Many patients facing a life-limiting illness prefer to remain at home, and this preference is central to how care plans are developed.
Care is delivered by a multidisciplinary hospice team that visits on a scheduled basis. This team may include nurses, social workers, therapists, counselors, volunteers, and spiritual care providers—each working together to support the patient’s physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
Some of the symptoms heart failure patients often experience include:
Chest Pain
Weakness
Fatigue
Functional decline
Shortness of breath
Hypertension
Compassionate End-of-Life Care
Pain and symptom management
Coordinated, individualized care
Coordinated, individualized care
Managing pain and symptoms helps hospice patients maintain their normal activities for as long as possible and reduces the likelihood of future hospital admissions. Some patients with heart failure experience significant symptoms that get worse over time, while others may have symptoms that come and go. The goal of managing symptoms in hospice is to improve the quality of life and ensure patient comfort, so caregivers and hospice team members monitor symptoms and adjust pain relief or other treatments as needed.
Coordinated, individualized care
Coordinated, individualized care
Coordinated, individualized care
The Elation Hospice & Palliative Care team collaborates closely with the patient’s cardiologist to create a personalized, comprehensive care plan. Through one-on-one support, each team member builds a strong understanding of the patient’s needs, ensuring truly individualized care. We also provide all necessary medical equipment and supplies to support safe, effective care in the comfort of the patient’s home.
Emotional and spiritual support
Coordinated, individualized care
Emotional and spiritual support
The hospice team includes counselors and clergy to help patients and families deal with their emotional and spiritual needs during a serious illness and at the end of life.
Caregiver education
Access to 24-hour care
Emotional and spiritual support
Hospice care providers are there for families who need more information about providing care for their loved one. Caregiver education includes resources for learning more about the patient’s illness as well as advice on how to manage symptoms and operate necessary medical equipment.
Respite care
Access to 24-hour care
Access to 24-hour care
Respite care is a type of temporary full-time care provided on a short-term basis to give regular caretakers a break. This type of temporary hospice or palliative care can reduce the risk of burnout.
Access to 24-hour care
Access to 24-hour care
Access to 24-hour care
End-of-life care through hospice enrollment is covered by Medicare, Medicaid and many private insurance plans. The hospice team includes people who can help find additional financial assistance if required and can assist with the required paperwork to handle insurance claims, funeral arrangements and medical directives.
Bereavement services
After the death of a hospice patient with heart failure, family members can receive up to 13 months of bereavement counseling from Elation Hospice & Palliative Care if desired.
