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The Impact of Heart Failure
Here is a list of some of the areas, and ways in which heart failure negatively impacts peoples’ lives [5]:
Physically:
Cannot do what you want to do - forced onto disability pension, feel bored and useless
Some medications can make physical limitations worse
Prevention from attaining personal and professional goals
Role Limitations:
Lifestyle pattern changes
Unable to fulfill desired family roles
Advised against having children
Unable to spend time with family and friends because of fatigue
No social life, do not want to burden friends
Sense of loss:
Things can continue to get worse, even when patients follow treatment plans and attempt to normalize their condition
Loss of independence
Loss of freedom - for example cannot drive
Loss of control - for example, the feeling that your life is no longer in your hands, but in the hands of doctors or medical equipment such as implanted defibrillators
Emotionally:
Fear of dying
Hopelessness
Never knowing if youâ&euro&tradell make it through the day
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5. Evangelista LS, Kagawa-Singer M, Dracup K.Gender differences in health perceptions and meaning in persons living with heart failure.Heart Lung 2001;30:167 –76.
