Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi - (Page 4)

BUILDING HEALTHIER HEARTS NMMC launches Congestive Heart Failure Self-Care College A 4 Vim & Vigor · SP R I N G 2 012 Donna Gaillard sk Donna Gaillard of Ripley about congestive heart failure and she can tell you a lot more now than she could last summer. Gaillard, 65, suffered her ﬁrst heart attack in May 2011 and another that June. Then she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which means her heart can’t pump enough blood to meet her body’s needs. Gaillard was one of the ﬁrst patients to go through NMMC’s Congestive Heart Failure Self-Care College, a simulation lab with three learning stations—weight, diet and medication. According to Lee Greer, M.D., physician champion of the Self-Care College, the Tupelo hospital treats approximately 600 patients each year who have a primary diagnosis of CHF. CONTINUING EDUCATION “We hope that when patients leave our facility they are prepared to manage their day-to-day care,” Greer explains. “Instead of the usual method of teaching with a handout, at the Self-Care College we ask patients or their caregiver to perform tasks that they will be required to do at home. If they cannot complete the task, then we recognize the deﬁcit and allocate resources to ensure a smooth transition back to home.” At the diet station, a registered dietitian discussed ﬂuid restriction, acceptable foods and foods to avoid. “I had to push that saltshaker away, but I also learned that salt comes in cans and boxes,” she says. “I learned to read food labels for sodium content, and to stay away from processed foods.” A pharmacist taught Gaillard the importance of taking her medications at the same time each day, and which ones need to be taken with food. When a person has congestive heart failure, the heart is not pumping blood properly, and ﬂuid can accumulate in the tissues. Usually the weight gain is sudden—two to three pounds a day or more than ﬁve pounds in ﬁve days.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi
Opening Thoughts
Building Healthier Hearts
Young at Heart
Caring for the Little Ones
Get Real
How Far We’ve Come
Patient Survival Guide
Perfect Attendance
Jennifer Hudson, Grammy-winning recording artist
Lean on Me
Intimidated by the Gym?
What Is Your Volunteer Style?
A Prescription for Relief
Virtual Health
SPECIAL You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Get Heart Healthy!
Growing Stronger
The Doctor Will See You Now
Catch the Spirit

Vim & Vigor - Spring 2012 - North Mississippi