February is American Heart Month, a time when people are encouraged to monitor their cardiovascular health.
At Synsormed, our nurses are being intentional about adding value and education around heart health, especially with our elderly patients.
When talking to patients about heart health, we approach it from 4 different angles: Blood Pressure and Weight Readings, Dietary Changes, Lifestyle & Stressors, and Accountability.
BLOOD PRESSURE & FLUID RETENTION
Blood pressure is one of the most common metrics nurses look at when working with patients, but it’s not the only metric they monitor that’s an indicator of heart health.
Our lead nurse Ana Parrish says nurses also look at patients’ weight.
“I think some people forget [weight] is related to heart health because if they have congestive heart failure, one of the major things that we have to look for is fluid overload,” Ana Parrish SynsorMed Nurse Manager.
DIETARY CHANGES
Our team of nurses also work with patients on lifestyle changes that can benefit their health, such as their diet.
“We’re definitely making sure that they are paying attention to their diet, meaning they’re eating fresh fruits, vegetables, staying away from processed packaged foods and limiting their sodium intake too,” Ana said.
Frequently monitoring patients’ blood pressure gets them invested in their own health outcomes. Ana says when it comes to keeping patients on track, education and awareness are the largest factors.
“[We can call them and say} hey, I noticed your blood pressure readings are looking great! And they’ll say it’s because I’m limiting my sodium intake. Or, you know, since our last conversation, I haven’t been eating out as much and I’ve been trying to stay home and cook.”
Even when patients’ readings are high, they’re able to identify what they ate that negatively impacted their readings.
“I have one patient in particular who’s like, I love my McDonald’s fish filets. So he eats those and he knows he shouldn’t, but at least he knows. When you know better, you do better,” Ana said.
LIFESTYLE/STRESSORS
Remote patient monitoring allows patients to stay in contact with health care providers more frequently, giving nurses like Ana more insight into their lives and potential stressors.
“We kind of get a better idea of what their home life is like, what their stressors are. And so just kind of educating the patient on coping techniques whether it’s reading, taking a warm bath, drinking warm tea, exercising – things that can just promote a healthy heart, lower their blood pressure, lower their cholesterol and just their overall health,” Ana said.
ACCOUNTABILITY
As patients become more invested in their health, we start to see those positive impacts trickle down to their friends and family.
“Some patients live with families, maybe they’re geriatric patients who live with their children and grandchildren, they’re definitely sharing that knowledge with them and making sure the whole household is eating healthy,” Ana said.
Though the patients in the RTM program may be dealing with chronic diseases, their family members and friends who don’t have the same health issues are better positioned to prevent having those issues in the future. We’ve seen changes in family members and friends like cleaner diets and more exercise.
“I have one patient in particular – he always exercises at the YMCA. He’s making sure that his buddies on the bike next to him are doing what they’re supposed to do too. I definitely think that there are patients who are being proactive in their communities, in their homes, and sharing the information that they have,” Ana said.
To learn more about how SynsorMed can help with your CCM, RPM RTM and Virtual Care options please reach us at info@synsormed.com
