Living Well with Heart Failure

Learning to manage your condition

If you have a long-term condition, there are extra things you may need to consider including:

Making changes to your diet
Different types of exercise
Different types of medication you may need to take

It is important to stay active and do things that are important to you. Self care involves looking at what you can do and want to do, rather than what you can’t do.

When you talk to your doctor or nurse about your condition, you may want to discuss some of the things you need to do to stay well. Some of these will be things that you can do yourself including:

Eating healthily
Exercising
Taking your medicines at the right time

Read on to find out more or click here to download a pdf booklet

Being diagnosed with heart failure may come as a shock. However, the good news is that there is lots you can do to improve your quality of life.

Looking after yourself and taking responsibility for your own health will help to keep you as well as possible.

It is important that you take any prescribed medication, even if you feel well. The medicines can prevent or delay your heart problem and symptoms from getting worse.

Some medicines are designed to protect or heal your heart. If you don’t take them, they can’t help you and the underlying problem could get worse.

It’s a good idea to keep your last insert from your previous prescription to hand in case you need to tell somebody.

What is heart failure?

Heart failure means that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly. It usually happens because the heart has become too weak or stiff. It does not mean your heart has stopped working. It means it needs some support to help it work better. It can occur at any age but is most common in older people.

Heart failure is a long-term condition that tends to get gradually worse over time. It cannot usually be cured, but the symptoms can often be controlled for many years.

Typical symptoms of heart failure include:

Breathlessness after activity or at rest
A new persistent cough
Feeling tired most of the time and finding exercise exhausting
Feeling light-headed or fainting
Swollen ankles and legs

What causes heart failure?

Heart failure is often the result of a number of problems affecting the heart at the same time.

Staying active

Regular physical activity can help improve your symptoms and general health. If you have heart failure, you should be offered an exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation programme. Ask your GP or at the hospital. These programmes vary widely across the country, but most cover one or more of the following: exercise, education, emotional support.

Ways to get more active

Check with your doctor or healthcare team before you begin. When doing regular physical activity becomes a habit, and you’re looking for new challenges, increase little by little.

Be realistic about your goals. Set yourself realistic goals that are specific, measurable and achievable.
Make exercise part of your day. Plan a time to do some physical activity that fits in with the rest of your day and try keeping an activity diary to help monitor your progress and success. If you miss a day, don’t worry, just make sure you start again the next day.

Keep moving and make it fun! Remember, everyday activities count, so look out for opportunities to be active during the day. For example, use the stairs instead of the lift, or walk to the local shop rather than taking the car.
Choose activities you enjoy to help you achieve your goals and stay motivated. Vary your activities and try involving family and friends.
Reward yourself! Recognise when you achieve your goals. Think of things that you could reward yourself with.

If at any time you feel that your heart failure symptoms have deteriorated and you feel unwell and require medical attention call your doctor, 111 or if you feel it’s an emergency call 999.

If you need support to get back into exercise, you may find a referral to BEEP useful.

Benefits of walking
Information and guided and self guided walks in Bradford district.

Bradford walks
Find a list of Bradford walks and maps you can download and print.

Take action and ask if your jabs are up to date

The free annual flu jab can reduce the risk of getting seriously ill in winter months and is available to over 65 year-olds and those with serious medical conditions. Ask your doctor for details. Other vaccinations, including Covid 19, Shingles and Pneumococcal may be available depending on your age and health status.

People with heart failure should have a review with their GP at least every six months.

If you drink alcohol, drink within safe limits

DrinkCoach is a website where people can find information to make informed choices about alcohol with a quick confidential online quiz and free online coaching sessions.

Click here to visit DrinkCoach and find out more

You can also find more information about alcohol on the NHS website

Bradford Encouraging Exercise in People (BEEP)

BEEP is a free physical activity referral service that encourages people who are inactive, to become more active, with a 52 week support programme.

BEEP is also a great way for people living with long term health conditions to increase their physical activity levels safely and improve their health. A trained exercise referral officer will work with you to design a bespoke exercise training programme created specifically for you.

Ask at your local GP practice for a referral to the BEEP service. Your GP, nurse or any other health care professional can complete a referral form for you.

Click here to find out more about BEEP

Support to stop smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the best things that you can do for your health. Research has shown you are up to three times more likely to quit smoking if you use the support of your local Stop Smoking Service in addition to products such as patches or gum.

Living Well Stop Smoking Service
This local service can support you with free confidential support to keep you motivated to quit. When you use the service, you will get one-to-one support from a friendly trained advisor who will create a 12 week personal quit plan designed with you, to work for you. Click the link or call: 01274 437700.

NHS smoke free website
Get advice and encouragement to help you quit smoking or call the NHS Smoking Helpline Call 0300 123 1044.

Eating Well

A healthy balanced diet is important for good health. It should include high fibre foods like wholegrains, oats, beans, lentils, nuts, fruits, and vegetables, which are good for keeping your heart healthy and controlling blood pressure.

Beans, lentils, and nuts are good sources of protein, and oily fish like salmon, mackerel, pilchards, or tuna, can also help to protect against heart disease. Oily fish, as well as nuts, olive oil, and avocados contain good fats that are good for heart health, while high fat foods such as fatty meats, pies, sausages, and ghee, should be limited.

Limiting salt to 6g (1 teaspoon) each day can also help to keep your blood pressure healthy. Look for the traffic-light colours on food packaging to limit foods that are high (red) in salt, sugar, and fat – these are sometimes called ‘ultra-processed’ foods and are not good for our health.

Eatwell Guides
You can enjoy a balanced diet by making small, gradual changes that you can stick to. Choose unprocessed foods with less ingredients wherever possible to help fuel your body and protect your heart. Learn about portions and food groups with the Eatwell Guide.

Swap Well to Eat Well
Lots of information about healthy eating with recipes and easy food swaps you can make on the Living Well website.

Work and benefits

If you are well enough, it is important to keep working for as long as you feel able. With the right support, staying in work can make you feel better and give you financial security.

Talk to your employer as soon as you feel that your condition is affecting your ability to do your job so that you can find a solution that suits both of you. For example, it may be possible for you to work part-time.
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to working practices or premises to help a person with a disability.
Before leaving work, check whether there are benefits that you or your family may be entitled to. If necessary, your personnel department or manager should be able to help you make enquiries.

The Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to working practices or premises to help a person with a disability.

Call Disability Advice Bradford: 01274 594 173. (Mon & Tues mornings)

More links to support are available below.

Where to find support

Find out which services may be available to you. Even if you don’t need them now, they may be useful in the future. By using the services that you are entitled to you can ensure that those closest to you don’t have to take on all the responsibility for helping you.

Find out what services can be arranged through your doctor or consultant. Living Well advisors or social prescribers may also be able to help you get support.

Healthy Minds
Your first step to mental health support in Bradford district and Craven

NHS Choices
NHS advice about healthy living, including eating a balanced diet, healthy weight, exercise, quitting smoking and drinking less alcohol.

Citizens Advice Bureau
Find benefits advice or call 0844 245 1282

Bradford Council Welfare Advice
Benefits and welfare advice and help

Jobcentre plus
Find out about a benefits check with the Jobcentre Plus

Benefit calculators
Find out about independent benefit calculators

Living Well Quick Links:

Living Well Advisor Service
Free, friendly advice and non-judgemental support for anyone needing a little extra help to start making lifestyle changes. Where to start, what to do next, and signposting to other useful resources and services.

Weight Management Support
12 weeks free access to weight management groups including Slimming World, APNA Healthy Living and The Brotherhood supporting people to lose weight in a healthy way. (New members only. Offers subject to change).

Stop Smoking Service
Free confidential 1:1 support to motivate people to quit smoking with a wide range of options to help combat cravings, including free 12 week vaping kits and prescribed NRT medications.

BEEP Exercise Referral Service
A free physical activity referral service encouraging people who are inactive, to become more active with a 52 week support programme. Also a great option for people living with a long term health condition.

Living Well with Heart Failure

Learning to manage your condition

Living Well with heart failure

What is heart failure?

Where to find support

Living Well Quick Links:

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