A good cardiac rehab program will be one that encompasses a wide variety of different factors to ensure the patient gets a well-rounded approach to improving their well-being.
It should include the factors of physical, mental as well as social functioning, as all of these aspects of a patients life can be affected after suffering from heart problems.
Usually the cardiac rehab program will include such things as:
- counselling the patient so they can understand the disease better
- learning the best things they can do for themselves to help manage it
- instructing them on what type of exercise program will be best for them to follow
- giving details on a good nutrition program that will help keep further heart problems at bay
- providing guidance as to how the patient can get back to their regular lifestyle and career.
Another major part of the cardiac rehab program is providing emotional support to the patient as it will be a difficult time in their life and maintaining a good state of mind will be critical to their recovery success.
Doctors should also be very involved in the program, helping to regulate the medications the patient is on to ensure they are not mixing wrong prescriptions and are taking appropriate dosages for their current needs.
By working together in this blended fashion, the long-term success rate of the program will be much better and the patient will come out with a greater chance that they will not experience any problems into the future. It is critical once the patient is out of the program though that they keep up with the dietary and exercise modifications that were made. Furthermore, if the patient was a smoker before the incident happened, taking steps to quit this habit will also drastically decrease their relapse rate as well as improve the rest of their overall health.
