How is heart failure rehabilitation structured?
Programs are designed to fit the individual, so the length of the program can vary from weeks to months, depending on your specific needs. Rehabilitation programs require a doctor’s referral and are not typically covered by insurance, except after a procedure or surgery to treat heart disease. Most women with heart failure can safely drive themselves to rehabilitation appointments, but if you have a heart rhythm problem that can cause fainting you may need to find alternate transportation. Talk to your doctor about whether it is safe for your to drive. If you have had a major procedure or been hospitalized, you will probably begin the program while in the hospital by regaining basic skills, such as getting out of bed and going to the bathroom by yourself. This is known as Phase I cardiac rehabilitation. After you are discharged from the hospital (or if you have not been hospitalized), you will start the main phase of heart failure rehabilitation. Phase II rehabilitation will include a
