Conditions

Heart disease and heart failure care

Help at home with the heavy jobs and the daily routine, so energy goes on living, not chores. Carers notice changes early and follow the plan from the heart team.

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Heart conditions

Coronary heart disease is when the heart's blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the arteries. The main symptoms include chest pain (angina) and shortness of breath (NHS).

Heart failure means the heart can't pump blood around the body properly. It doesn't mean the heart has stopped or is about to stop. There is no cure, but treatment and lifestyle changes can help (NHS).

What a carer does

Washing and dressing with sitting down built in, to save energy
The heavy jobs: shopping, laundry, changing beds and the stairs
Meals that follow the heart team's advice, for example on salt or fluids
Reminders to take tablets, and a record of them
A daily weight at the same time each morning, if the heart team has asked for one
Getting to appointments and cardiac rehabilitation
Noticing changes early and telling the family or the heart team

Warning signs

When to get help

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if someone with heart failure feels breathless when lying down or from everyday activity, coughs up frothy pink phlegm, or has suddenly gained weight. Call 999 if they have severe difficulty breathing, or their lips or skin turn pale, blue or grey. If you think someone is having a heart attack, call 999.

Care and clinical care

Carers give personal and practical care. Clinical tasks, such as injections, wound care or changing a catheter, come from the NHS team unless a carer has been trained for that specific task and it has been agreed with the team. Tell us about all care needs up front so we only introduce carers who can help safely.

Which care fits

Hourly visits for the morning routine and the heavy jobs suit many people. After a heart attack or heart surgery, short-term care helps while they recover; see short-notice care. Live-in care suits someone who needs help through the day.

Help paying for care

Personal Independence Payment: for people aged 16 or over with difficulty with everyday tasks or getting around, usually under State Pension age for a new claim, and not affected by income or savings (Adult Disability Payment in Scotland)
Attendance Allowance: for people over State Pension age who need help, not means-tested
Council funding: after a free needs assessment and a means test
Direct payments: council money you can use to arrange your own care
NHS Continuing Healthcare: when needs are mainly health needs

Rates and rules checked against GOV.UK and the NHS in October 2026. Benefit rates usually change each April.

Tell us about them
The diagnosis, how they are now, routines, and what matters to them.
See matched profiles
Profiles say what experience each carer has, so you can choose with care.
Speak first
Talk to carers by phone or video call before you agree to anything.
Care starts
You and your carer agree the routine, and change it as needs change.

How carers are checked

Before LCH Care introduces a carer, we check their identity, right to work in the UK, Enhanced DBS, two references, work history, and relevant training or qualifications. Carers also hold their own public liability insurance. You then speak to the carer by phone or video call before you agree to anything.

Other conditions

Questions

Can someone with heart failure live at home?

Often, yes, with help for the heavy jobs and the daily routine, and the heart team managing treatment.

What signs should a carer report?

More breathlessness, especially lying down, swelling in the feet, ankles or legs, sudden weight gain, or a cough at night. Severe breathing difficulty needs a 999 call.

Can a carer help after heart surgery?

Yes, with personal care, meals, housework and getting to appointments while the person recovers.