Safely Recovering From Surgeries or Cardiac Attacks at Home

Experiencing a heart attack is an awful trauma that may scar people for life. The emergency is then followed by a prolonged stay at the hospital, which is also far from a pleasant experience. Yet most cardiac patients – especially the elderly – are just as afraid about the recovery process. A study pointed out that those who are uninformed about what to do after a heart attack are often prone to anxiety and depression. Family members also find it difficult to look after the senior without any clear guidance. In short, cardiac patients need to be cautious and change their lifestyle, while friends and relatives ensure proper monitoring, either by hiring a caregiver or attending to them with the help of technology.

The biggest concern for family members involves the effort it takes to monitor their elderly relative, who may well live too far from them to make the daily visits possible. Before we go into details, we must differentiate between the earlier and later stages of the recovery. Although most people would think that a medical alert system is enough to keep your worries away, we strongly believe that a patient who was recently released from the hospital needs more than just a single help button.

While it’s true that using a medical alert system as the only mean of protection for someone who is unable to look after themselves isn’t recommended, it is no doubt handy later on when the heart attack victim has gained enough strength and doesn’t require round-the-clock supervision. A mobile button fitted with fall detection is probably the most comprehensive medical alert system for cardiac patients, but there are alternatives such as the iBeat heart monitoring watch or the Family Guardian system from Medical Guardian that keeps track of the senior’s daily routine in a non-intrusive way and alerts of a sudden decrease in activity. Encourage patients to wear the help button or wristwatch all day and night, considering that most falls occur either in the shower or during a visit to the bathroom in the middle of the night.