Characteristics Associated with Heart Failure Patients and Their Caregivers

Abstract

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a common disease of older adults with a survival rate that rivals many forms of cancer (Mamas et al., 2017). This disease affects 1 in 100 individuals over the age of 65, or approximately 5.3 million individuals in the United States (Chung et al, 2010). CHF is the underlying cause of more than 56,000 deaths and is the primary diagnosis in nearly 1 million patients who are hospitalized (Banoff et al, 2016). The 30-day hospital readmission rate for CHF patients is, on average, 28% in the United States (Mirkin et al, 2017). With these statistics as well as the age of baby boomers, it is not surprising that CHF make up a vast majority of readmissions diagnosis to the hospital.