Excellent end of life care for people with heart failure is challenging but possible. Failure to address this aspect of care has serious consequences for patients, their families, clinicians and the use of health resources. Heart Failure: From Advanced Disease to Bereavement illustrates the complexity and importance of end of life care for patients with advanced heart failure. This book is a pocket reference for everyday use in the clinic, ward or home visit for all doctors, nurses and AHPs caring for people with advanced heart failure. It outlines the underlying pathophysiology of heart failure, summarises standard pharmacological and device therapy, and sets the context of the challenges resulting from an unpredictable course of disease. In easily digestible summaries, this book presents practical advice about how and when to integrate a palliative care approach alongside standard heart failure management, how to communicate honestly in the face of uncertainty, the rationalisation of medication and device therapies at the end of life, symptom control, care for the dying, and care after death.

This book is a guide to help clinicians caring for people with advanced heart failure develop a team approach for a group of people who, despite the increased awareness, remains disadvantaged in accessing support to help them live with, and support them as they die from, this serious illness.

Full of practical, evidence based advice, 'Heart Failure and Palliative Care' encourages a multidisciplinary team based approach. It stimulates joint working between primary care, cardiology and palliative care teams - raising awareness of the problems associated with supportive and palliative care for heart failure patients. The second edition has been significantly revised and updated with brand new chapters and sections on shared decision making, advance care planning, devices, ACP and non-LVSD failure. 'Heart Failure and Palliative Care' offers optimum care solutions vital to all palliative care professionals in a wide variety of hospital and community settings.