Restorative Heart Failure Analysis

Summary of Article 1

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is the inability of the heart to pump blood effectively throughout the body due to weakened heart muscles. Most of the aging population, regardless of the gender, often have this problem due compromised cardiopulmonary system. People who suffers from heart failure experience fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, and general debility. This affects how an individual performs his or her daily chores.

This article probes how heart failure affects the performance of activities of daily living (ADL’s) in the geriatric populations. Sufferers of CHF often feel that they are losing their independence and their ability to perform their family roles. Participants in this study presented some difficulties

In some cases, the physical limitations can be severe due to the progressive nature of the disease. This is where maintenance occupational therapy can be utilize to address the limitations that are parallel to the progress of the disease. Several articles from popular databases were abstracted in this study to gather evidence that interdisciplinary approach which include occupational therapy can improve BADLs, IADLs, health and quality of life in people with chronic diseases. The interventions commonly comprise of goal setting, energy conservation, use of adaptive equipment, and coping strategies. These interventions are in the realm of occupational therapy and it involve a holistic approach tailored to fit the needs of individual

This also applies to professionals who specializes in rehabilitative medicine. Occupational therapists should be equipped with clinical knowledge about the diagnosis and prognosis of a specific disease to help formulate the intervention. As with the case study patient AS, she has a chronic condition which limits her ability to perform functional task in the areas of ADLs. Heart failure causes her to fatigue more easily and therefore affects her performance of her roles within her family and society. Although congestive heart failure generally affects the heart, complications arises because of the incapacity of the heart to pump blood efficiently. This causes a domino effect to other systems of the body thereby causing more debility and crippling physiological