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Let’s Talk About Heart Failure
| Topic: Advance Care Planning
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    • Topic: What to Know About Heart Failure
    • What to Know About Heart Failure . 1 of 25
    • What is Heart Failure? . 2 of 25
    • Take Control of Heart Failure . 3 of 25
    • Monitor Symptoms . 4 of 25
    • What Heart Failure Means to Your Body . 5 of 25
    • Quick Quiz 1 . 6 of 25
    • Quick Quiz 2 . 7 of 25
    • Causes of Heart Failure . 8 of 25
    • Conditions Leading to Heart Failure . 9 of 25
    • Understand Your Diagnosis . 10 of 25
    • Types of Heart Failure . 11 of 25
    • Quick Quiz 3 . 12 of 25
    • Labels of Heart Failure . 13 of 25
    • Stages of Heart Failure . 14 of 25
    • Classes of Heart Failure . 15 of 25
    • Understanding Your Heart Failure . 16 of 25
    • Questions to Ask . 17 of 25
    • Ejection Fraction Measurement and Heart Failure . 18 of 25
    • How Can I Improve My Low Ejection Fraction? . 19 of 25
    • Improve EF to Improve Wellbeing . 20 of 25
    • Quick Quiz 4 . 21 of 25
    • Tests for Heart Failure . 22 of 25
    • Useful Results . 23 of 25
    • Quick Quiz 5 . 24 of 25
    • Learn More to Take Control of Your Heart Failure . 25 of 25
    • Topic: Managing Heart Failure with Medication
    • Managing Heart Failure with Medication . 1 of 14
    • Benefits of Heart Failure Medication . 2 of 14
    • Feel Better with the Right Medications . 3 of 14
    • Managing Heart Failure Medications . 4 of 14
    • Taking Your Medications as Directed . 5 of 14
    • Understanding Your Medications . 6 of 14
    • It’s Worth Your Effort . 7 of 14
    • Managing Medication Side Effects and Interactions . 8 of 14
    • Quick Quiz 1 . 9 of 14
    • Quick Quiz 2 . 10 of 14
    • Track Your Symptoms . 11 of 14
    • Medicine Assistance Programs . 12 of 14
    • Quick Quiz 3 . 13 of 14
    • Communication is key . 14 of 14
    • Topic: Taking Control of Your Health Management
    • Taking Control of Your Health Management . 1 of 20
    • Notice Your Symptoms . 2 of 20
    • Track Your Symptoms . 3 of 20
    • Identify Early Symptoms . 4 of 20
    • Know When to Call for Help . 5 of 20
    • No One Knows You Like You Do . 6 of 20
    • Quick Quiz 1 . 7 of 20
    • Quick Quiz 2 . 8 of 20
    • Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference . 9 of 20
    • Lifestyle Changes for Heart Failure . 10 of 20
    • Quick Quiz 3 . 11 of 20
    • Eating a Heart-Healthy Diet . 12 of 20
    • Avoid Hidden Sources of Sodium . 13 of 20
    • Read Food Labels . 14 of 20
    • Ease Into New Habits . 15 of 20
    • Quick Quiz 4 . 16 of 20
    • Increase Your Activity Level . 17 of 20
    • Pay Attention to How You Feel . 18 of 20
    • Quick Quiz 5 . 19 of 20
    • It Takes a Team . 20 of 20
    • Topic: Caring for Your Emotional Well-being
    • Caring for Your Emotional Well-being . 1 of 11
    • Common Feelings After a Diagnosis of Heart Failure . 2 of 11
    • Recognizing Emotions After a Diagnosis of Heart Failure . 3 of 11
    • Quick Quiz 1 . 4 of 11
    • Take Charge . 5 of 11
    • What Can I Do? . 6 of 11
    • Quick Quiz 2 . 7 of 11
    • What Can My Doctor Do? . 8 of 11
    • Quick Quiz 3 . 9 of 11
    • Quick Quiz 4 . 10 of 11
    • Take Action to Ensure Your Quality of Life . 11 of 11
    • Topic: What to Expect During an Office Visit
    • What to Expect During an Office Visit . 1 of 15
    • Physical Examination . 2 of 15
    • What to Expect at the Exam . 3 of 15
    • Tips for a Successful Exam . 4 of 15
    • Quick Quiz 1 . 5 of 15
    • Testing Provides Insights . 6 of 15
    • Common Tests for Heart Failure . 7 of 15
    • Quick Quiz 2 . 8 of 15
    • Your Healthcare Team . 9 of 15
    • Members of Your Healthcare Team . 10 of 15
    • You Play an Important Role . 11 of 15
    • Partnering in Your Treatment . 12 of 15
    • Quick Quiz 3 . 13 of 15
    • Quick Quiz 4 . 14 of 15
    • Work Together . 15 of 15
    • Topic: What to Know About Advanced Heart Failure
    • What to Know About Advanced Heart Failure . 1 of 21
    • What is Advanced Heart Failure? . 2 of 21
    • Learn About Your Options . 3 of 21
    • What are My Treatment Options for Advanced Heart Failure? . 4 of 21
    • Temporary Therapies for Advanced Heart Failure . 5 of 21
    • Heart Transplant . 6 of 21
    • You Have Options . 7 of 21
    • Quick Quiz 1 . 8 of 21
    • Shared Decision Making . 9 of 21
    • Advance Care Planning . 10 of 21
    • Advance Care Plan Documents . 11 of 21
    • Advanced Heart Failure Care Options . 12 of 21
    • End of Life Care . 13 of 21
    • Quick Quiz 2 . 14 of 21
    • Quick Quiz 3 . 15 of 21
    • Reduce Uncertainty by Preparing . 16 of 21
    • Survey Question 1 . 17 of 21
    • Survey Question 2 . 18 of 21
    • Survey Question 3 . 19 of 21
    • Survey Question 4 . 20 of 21
    • Survey Question 5 . 21 of 21
    • Other Modules in This Series
    • Let's Talk About Blood Pressure
    • Let’s Talk About Diabetes, Heart Disease, & Stroke
    • Let’s Talk About LDL Cholesterol

Advance Care Plan Documents

Explore each section to learn more.

Slide 1 of 6

There are many attorneys who specialize in estate-planning and can help you prepare your documents. It’s important that your advance care plan meets your state’s legal requirements, so your healthcare team can follow it.

Slide 2 of 6

Advance care directive

This document provides direction about your future medical care. It typically includes a living will, a durable healthcare power of attorney, and a statement about organ donation.

Slide 3 of 6

Do-not-resuscitate order

This is a type of advance care directive that tells your care team what they should and should not do if you stop breathing, if your heart beats with dangerous irregularity, or if the heart stops entirely.

Slide 4 of 6

Living will

This legal document expresses your wishes about life-sustaining medical treatment should you become unable to communicate. It’s often used if you’re terminally ill, meaning you have no reasonable chance of recovery.

Healthcare providers rely on living wills to guide their efforts within your own specified limits.

Slide 5 of 6

Healthcare power of attorney

This document allows someone to make all the healthcare decisions on your behalf if you are unable to make decisions for yourself. The person whom you designate to make these decisions will be guided by your living will.

The person with healthcare power of attorney has the authority to interpret your living will if there are questions about it and to make healthcare decisions that he or she believes are in your best interest.

Slide 6 of 6

Financial planning

One concern that nearly all heart failure patients and their families face is how to pay for the treatment and other medical needs. Your care team may know about ways to help you pay for medicines and other healthcare bills. Hospitals often have social workers who are skilled in this area, as well.

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