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If you are having difficulty coping with your feelings, you should not feel ashamed or embarrassed about seeking advice and counseling from appropriate sources, such as other family members, trained mental health professionals, or religious advisers. Look for peer groups. You may be able to find support groups for people with caregiving responsibilities. Talking to other people who are in similar situations may be a valuable way for you to share your concerns and also to gather information.

When should I seek outside help?

Unfortunately, some families cannot assume care for a loved one with severe heart failure without enlisting outside help. Economic stresses may be overwhelming and, if all the family members are at work, adequate at-home supervision and care for the patient may not be possible. Additionally, some people with heart failure require more care than their family can be reasonably expected to provide. In these cases, you may consider placing your loved one in a long-term care facility.

The available long-term care options depend on an individual's level of independence and need for nursing supervision. Some people will still be able to perform basic activities on their own but may need assistance preparing meals and sorting medications. Such individuals may be well cared for in a supervised living facility where food is provided and staff is available to assist them if needed, but routine nursing care is not provided.

Other people with end-stage heart failure may have difficulty performing basic activities and may be better served in a nursing home where the staff can assist them with eating and bathing. In these more closely monitored settings, nurses can track your loved one's heart failure symptoms and ensure that he or she takes medications appropriately.

It is important for people in these facilities to feel that they are still a part of their family. Frequent visits by family members or day trips to the family home go a long way in improving their emotional health. At first, you may think that paying for elder care will be prohibitively expensive. However, there may be options available to make it more manageable.