AAHFN Promotes Heart Failure Awareness Week: Spices of Life! Healthy Living with Heart Failure
Mount Laurel, NJ (PRWEB) February 14, 2016 -- In honor of Heart Failure Awareness Week, February 14-20, 2016, the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) is promoting healthier living with heart failure by providing educational materials for nurses, patients and their caregivers. This year’s campaign, Spices of Life! Healthy Living with Heart Failure will kick-off February 14 and includes tips on keeping the flavor in meals while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. A cookbook filled with recipes to assist patients and caregivers with preparing healthy low sodium meals is available at no cost on the AAHFN website.
Currently there are 6.5 million adults in the U.S. living with heart failure which affects the ability of the heart to pump blood to the body. Spices of Life! Healthy Living with Heart Failure helps patients to take an active part of managing their disease with these self-care tips. AAHFN is increasing awareness and encouraging communication between patients, caregivers, and their healthcare providers. The AAHFN patient education website provides information and easy to follow tip sheets to help live a more heart healthy lifestyle.
“Patients are at the heart of what we do. AAHFN is committed to promoting and providing nursing and patient education to live healthier lives with heart failure,” said AAHFN President, Marilyn Prasun, PhD, CCNS-BC, CHFN, FAHA. “This year we have collaborated with heart failure experts, nutritionists, and patients to create and provide a cookbook dedicated to heart healthy and tasty recipes along with educational materials and information.”
In an effort to help maintain a healthy lifestyle while living with heart failure, AAHFN has these and other resources available.
Information Sheets for Patients:
• Low Sodium Seasoning Guide
• How to Read a Nutrition Label
• Facts about Salt
• Vinegar
• Ethnic Flavor
Tips for Nurses:
• Evaluate for guideline directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure patients.
• Provide a complete medication reconciliation at all encounters (admission, transfer, discharge)
• Arrange follow-up after hospital discharge (within 7 days).
• Refer to a heart failure specialist.
• Provide education on a low sodium diet.
For additional patient education resources visit: aahfnpatienteducation.com
Go to aahfn.org for detailed information about AAHFN’s initiative Spices of Life! Healthy Living with Heart Failure and additional downloads on this program.
Sponsors of AAHFN’s Heart Failure Awareness Week include:
Amgen Cardiovascular
Medtronic
Novartis
SJM
About AAHFN
The American Association of Heart Failure Nurses (AAHFN) unites professionals in the support and advancement of heart failure practice, education and research to promote optimal patient outcomes. AAHFN is dedicated to advancing nursing education, clinical practice and research with the goal of setting the standards for heart failure nursing care. Find more information about AAHFN and Heart Failure Awareness Week by visiting http://www.aahfn.org and following the association on Twitter at @AAHFN.
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Media Contact:
Theresa “TC” Field-Bobroski
VP of Business Operations
856-642-4408
tfield(at)ahredchair.com
Theresa Field-Bobroski, AAHFN, http://www.aahfn.org/, +1 (856) 642-4408, [email protected]
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