Assessing Heart Failure in Long-Term Care Facilities

Evidence suggests the most crucial elements to successful heart failure (HF) management in long-term care (LTC) include improving staffs' HF knowledge to recognize and intervene in early symptom exacerbations, embedding an effective and integrated interprofessional communication system into daily care processes, risk stratification, and anticipatory advanced care planning. Despite a large body of evidence describing best practices, quality HF management remains elusive in LTC facilities. Studies have shown that care quality and outcomes improve when the entire team, including direct caregivers, have an active role in residents' care planning and implementation. The current article summarizes a revised evidence-based practice guideline on assessing HF, addressing a systematic approach to care delivery, and implementing evidence-based best practices for HF quality improvement initiatives in LTC, post-acute care, and short-term rehabilitation settings.