FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (6/22/09) -
The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) commends the inclusion of
end-of-life planning and advanced care planning measures and directives
as stated in Senate Bill 1251, The Senior Navigation and Planning Act of
2009, recently introduced by Senator Mark Warner (VA) to enhance health
care choices for seniors, with specific reference to heart failure.
"The Society is pleased that Senator Warner has highlighted the
difficult decisions regarding end-of-life care faced by thousands
of Americans and their families every day," said Douglas Mann,
President, HFSA. "We look forward to meeting with Senator Warner
and other members of the U.S. Congress regarding these and other
issues which could potentially benefit millions of heart failure
patients, caregivers and families."
Thanks to major advances in medical and surgical management,
patients with heart failure often live long, productive, and
fulfilling lives. In addition, as highlighted in this bill,
many patients with heart failure have advanced illness and
are in need of end-of-life decision-making and care.
Advanced directives and planning measures for care are
crucial aspects of the management of patients with heart
failure. Availability of skilled end-of-life care is essential
to enhance the support and well-being of both patients and
families, and to optimize patient quality-of-life and dignity
through advanced stages of illness.
About Heart Failure
Heart failure is a progressive condition in which the
heart muscle becomes weakened after it is injured, most
commonly from heart attack or high blood pressure, and
gradually loses its ability to pump enough blood to supply
the body's needs. Many people are not aware they have heart
failure because the symptoms are often mistaken for signs of
getting older. Heart failure affects from 4.6 to 4.8 million
individuals in the United States. Demographic and clinical
evidence strongly suggests that the prevalence of heart
failure will increase throughout the next decade. Ten to
15 years ago heart failure was considered a "death sentence;"
however, recent advances in treatment have shown that early
diagnosis and proper care in early stages of the condition
are key to slowing, stopping or in some cases reversing
progression, improving quality of life, and extending life
expectancy. For more information on heart failure, please
visit www.abouthf.org.
About the Heart Failure Society of America
The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) is a nonprofit
educational organization, founded in 1994 as the first organized
association of heart failure experts. Today HFSA has over
1,500 members and provides a forum for all those interested
in heart function, heart failure research and patient care.
The Society also serves as a resource for governmental
agencies (FDA, NIH, NHLBI, CMS). The HFSA Annual Scientific
Meeting is designed to highlight recent advances in the
development of strategies to address the complex
epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic issues
of heart failure. Additional information on HFSA
can be found at www.hfsa.org.
