What is it?
How it can help me?
Watch the video below to follow Alaise and her daughter’s journey with Heart Failure.
VIDEO SUMMARY
- Alaise is an 83-year old woman with early-stage dementia and heart failure. Alaise lives with her daughter.
- Alaise’s daughter uses the Heart Failure Zone Sheet and Daily Weight Log to determine if her mother may be experiencing a heart failure flare-up. After noticing a change in symptoms, her daughter identifies that Alaise is in the “yellow zone” and calls their local community health center for medical assistance.
- A community nurse comes to their home and treats Alaise. The community nurse updates Alaise’s nurse practitioner on her condition.
Heart Failure Zone Sheet
Asking the questions below daily can help determine which zone your loved one is in:
What is their daily weight?
Is there any change in their breathing?
Do you notice any difficulty participating in usual daily activities?
Do you notice any swelling in the feet, ankles, legs or stomach? Is this more than usual (e.g., have difficulty getting shoes on, or pants are tight around the stomach)?
How many pillows are they sleeping with at night? Have they needed to sleep on a 'lazy boy' chair?
How is their appetite? Is there a change?
GREEN ZONE
All clear
Continue activities as usual
No changes in weight
Can perform daily activities as usual
No new swelling of feet, ankles, legs or stomach
All clear
Continue activities as usual
YELLOW ZONE
Warning Zone
Call physician
2 pounds (1kg) weight gain/loss in one day
5 pounds (2-3 kg) weight gain/loss in one week
Increased or new shortness of breath
Shortness of breath that worsens when lying down or causes them to wake up from sleep
New swelling of feet, ankles, legs or stomach
Feeling weak and tired
Warning Zone
Call physician
RED ZONE
Emergency
Call 911
Struggling to breathe or can't catch their breath
Heart is 'racing'
Can't think clearly or feeling confused
Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
Have sudden chest pain that won't go away
