How to support someone with heart disease

It can be a real shock to have someone in your family diagnosed with heart disease, or admitted to hospital for a heart problem. You may feel scared or angry. These are normal reactions. Families can often be more anxious than the person with the heart problem.

Communication

Communication is very important for keeping families close and well-connected. Many couples and families go through life without saying how much they care for each other. Some couples and families say that a heart attack brought them closer because they realised how important they are to each other.

It helps for everyone to talk honestly and freely about what they’re feeling. No one, including children, should be excluded from the conversation. You may not be aware that children can often blame themselves when their parents become unwell, so it is important to explain to them what has happened and why it has happened.

Having open and honest conversations may not only reduce episodes of stress; it may also encourage the closeness and emotional support that people need following a health scare.