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Cardiac rehab FAQs (folder)

20/04/2021
What to expect at cardiac rehabilitation?

The cardiac rehabilitation service offers a number of things at various stages following your cardiac event and recovery. Expect the following:

  • A telephone call within a couple of days of arriving back home. 
  • Opportunity to meet with a nurse, physiotherapist, exercise physiologist or occupational therapist to assess the patients' needs.
  • Opportunity to work with health professionals to meet the patients' needs through information sessions, counselling, and motivation to return to a lifestyle that is appropriate. This can take place through clinic appointments, telephone/ video calls or at the supervised exercise environment.
  • Access to supervised exercise sessions to increase confidence, strength and stamina. This can help reduce the risks of a further heart event.
  • Structured information sessions to help patients understand their condition and how to manage it. These sessions provide the opportunity to discuss medications, healthy eating, understanding food labels, how to be safely active, techniques for exercising, pacing yourself, and how to manage stress.
  • An environment that provides the opportunity to meet with other people with heart issues.
  • An environment where patients can confidently discuss heart concerns or ask questions.
19/04/2021
Am I eligible for cardiac rehabilitation?

Cardiac rehabilitation is available to people who have had:

If your doctor or nurse recommends that you don not need cardiac rehabilitation but you feel you would benefit from it, you can ask them to refer you. Patients are unable to attend a programme without referral. 

19/04/2021
What are cardiac rehabilitation information sessions?

Alongside the exercise sessions,people are invited to attend patient information sessions. These sessions provide information on: 

  • Stress and wellbeing management - we help patients to explore issues and provide support to manage stress.
  • Living with heart disease - we explore the factors that contribute to heart issues and find ways to help take charge of heart health.
  • Knowing heart medications - we help patients and their families to discover different heart medications and discuss the benefits and possible side-effects.
  • Eating for a healthy heart - we help patients to understand the benefits of healthy eating and provide a number of healthy recipes from our Cardiac Cooking Companion booklet.
19/04/2021
What type of exercise sessions happen at cardiac rehabilitation?

The supervised exercise programme runs over a period of 4 to 12 weeks, depending upon the condition and individual needs. The programme is tailored to each person to help them return to fitness and gradually build in strength and confidence.

A typical exercise session involves a warm up, the main exercise component, which may be circuit based or use equipment, and a cool down. Some programmes conclude with a relaxation session. 

Find out more information about cardiac rehabilitation exercise programmes. 

19/04/2021
How will the sessions take place?

We are currently offering our education sessions online. We will advise on dates and times available to book video appointments. We can offer telephone calls if this is preferred to a video call.  

19/04/2021
How do we support patients?

There are several ways we support patients including face-to-face clinics, virtual information talks and/ or telephone calls. During the programme, we can help patients to set personal goals and ways to achieve them. We stay in regular contact with patients throughout the programme. 

Emotional support and wellbeing can also be found on the British Heart Foundation support hub.