Making it easier to talk about the end of life with people affected by heart failure

Difficult conversations for heart failure is is based on conversations with more than sixty people affected by heart failure (patients, carers and former carers).

It explores how being open about the end of life can enhance people’s quality of life and includes examples of subjects that may arise. It includes ideas about how to start conversations and pitfalls to avoid, along with helpful links to resources.

The booklet touches on many of the issues that people with heart failure face, such as breathlessness, exhaustion and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators or ICDs (which, in some cases, are deactivated in the last days of life to avoid unpleasant and unnecessary shocks to the heart).

Thanks to the British Heart Foundation, who funded and supported the publication of Difficult conversations for heart failure, this new guide is free, either to download, or as a hard copy (post and packing is chargeable).

This publication follows similar guides which focus on COPD, Dementia and MND.