Home Health After Heart Attacks

When Heart Month rolls around each February, we see stories in the news about rates of cardiovascular disease and our social media feeds are full of heart-healthy recipes. Heart disease remains the number one killer in the United States and diet and nutrition absolutely play a critical role in our heart health. But what about after a heart attack occurs? If you or someone you love was unfortunate enough to go through that ordeal – what should they do now?

We know hospitals provide the best options for acute care like surgery or emergencies, where injuries and illnesses are serious or requite urgent treatment. But they are designed for short-term stays. As capable as they are, they aren’t purpose built for a patient’s – or their family’s – recovery. And a better post-acute recovery means a lower chance of readmission. What if there was a way to recover better and help ensure they didn’t have to go right back to the hospital?

Hospital readmissions are costly, inconvenient, and life-disrupting. But with home health care after discharge for heart attack, patients can reduce health care costs for themselves and for medical systems. And with the help of a trusted home health provider, you can feel better where you feel comfortable: at home.

According to research from the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor published in American Heart Association’s Quality of Care and Outcomes, heart attack survivors who receive home health care are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital within the first month.

Home health provides a wide variety of services, from skilled nursing and rehabilitative therapy to help with recovery or managing a chronic condition. However, home health services are too often underutilized by patients, even when readily available. Only a fraction of patients receives home health care after a heart attack. Those that do are typically older, women, or have underlying health conditions. This represents a missed opportunity to take advantage of a recovery plan that could keep you healthier, happier, and at home.

The study found around 10%% of the post-heart attack patients received home health care. Because home health care has traditionally been utilized by patients with other issues, the post-heart attack patients from the study tended to be older – 77 on average compared to 60 for patients who did not receive home health care. They also were more likely to have diabetes, heart failure, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease, and high blood pressure. But even after adjusting for those conditions, home care patients were 11% less likely to be readmitted to a hospital within 30 days of their initial discharge.

The results are clear – and are great news for patients, their loved ones, and caregivers. There is a better way to recover: get the care you need in the comfort of your own home with a trusted home health provider by your side.