Cardiac Rehab at Saint Francis

Recover from cardiac disease with a personalized therapy program

Once you have experienced a cardiac event, you are at an increased risk of suffering a recurrence. Thankfully, it is possible to fight heart disease and significantly reduce your risk factors. Lifestyle changes, including better diet and exercise, are key to recovering from a cardiac event. Attempting to create heart healthy habits by yourself can be overwhelming, and potentially dangerous if you have recently had a heart attack and begin making radical changes that your body cannot handle.

Cardiac rehabilitation is a personalized program designed to help you recover from surgery and develop habits that will prevent another cardiac event. Our program has been [accredited by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR),] meaning we have met their rigorous standards for quality and patient safety.

How does cardiac rehab work?

You will likely be referred to physical therapy by the hospital or physician after suffering a heart attack or similar cardiac event. We offer an outpatient rehab program, meaning patients are enrolled after their discharge from the hospital and can continue their care while living comfortably at home. During your first session a team of physical therapists, physicians, nurses, and other care coordinators will spend time getting to know you and learn more about your health goals. From there, they can start developing a treatment plan that caters to your lifestyle and wellbeing.

Cardiac rehabilitation consists of three main components:

• Education: Learning about cardiovascular health will help you better understand how heart disease develops and what you can do to stop it. A big part of this is learning about safe cardio exercises and heart healthy diets. Our team will also develop educational courses specifically to help you remedy unhealthy factors in your life such as smoking, high cholesterol, or lack of physical activity.
• Exercise: Medical experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate activity a day in order to prevent serious heart conditions. If you already have heart disease, it is important to ease yourself into an exercise routine so as not to put excess strain on your body. During rehab, your trainer will create an exercise plan for you based on your input and monitor your exercises to ensure they achieve the desired results.
• Encouragement: Suffering from a heart attack or other cardiac event can be shocking and frightening. It can be easy to feel resigned to your situation and convince yourself that there is no hope. Our team cares about patients and helping them achieve a better quality of life. We will be cheering you on every step of the way and keep you focused on the goal. We’ve seen others beat heart disease, we know you can do it as well.

Cardiac rehab usually lasts for about 12 months. By the end of the year, you should have made an improvement in your overall health and developed a routine that will help you to continue a healthy lifestyle at home. One of the reasons personalizing these programs is so important is that patients need to feel like this routine is helping them meet personal goals and aspirations so that they want to continue it on their own. Should you ever have questions or concerns after rehabilitation is over, we will be happy to help.