Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac Rehabilitation has proven to be a successful method of addressing the physical, social-psychological, and educational components of heart disease. Our goal is to get you back into a healthy and productive life, a journey that requires your commitment to your health. We will work with you to help you succeed through setting personal life style goals.
The highly qualified and experienced staff in Cardiac Rehabilitation at Augusta Health is specifically trained to teach and to assist you and your family.
Your primary care physician, cardiologist, or cardiac surgeon will initiate your participation in the inpatient and outpatient cardiac rehabilitation program. The team will upgrade your activity with physician’s approval. Specially trained cardiac nurses monitor your heart rhythm on telemetry during the exercise session. Your blood pressure will be monitored. In a group session with other patients or one on one, you and the staff communicate and share in dealing with the challenges of everyday living as they affect your life style. Our staff presents teaching material and guides your activities from inpatient to home to outpatient status, and back to work and/or normal activities.
The staff will help you establish an exercise and diet program that is beneficial and pleasing to your lifestyle. The outpatient program consists of three visits per week for six to twelve weeks, depending on your individual needs. Physicians will be sent a composite of all visits and a final report upon completion.
Rehabilitation is beneficial if you have had:
- Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)
- Coronary Bypass Surgery
- PTCA (Balloon Angioplasty)
- Stable Angina
- Valve Surgery
- Coronary or Pulmonary Transplants
- Atherectomy
- Coronary Stent Placement
- Heart Failure
Benefits of Cardiovascular Therapy
Physical
- Improved quality of life
- Improved efficiency of heart and lungs
- Increased work capacity
- Decreased resting and exercise blood pressure
- Improved cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Psychological
- Increased ability to combat depression and anxiety and their effects
- Improved ability to cope with stress and life style change
- Decreased fear of sexual relations
- Better awareness of your own body and confidence in resuming activities
Additional Services
- Dietary Counseling
- Exercise Counseling
- Stress Management Information
- Blood Pressure Monitoring
- Medication Education and Counseling
Referral services are available for Diabetic Counseling.
Social Workers available for Crisis Intervention