Chronic Heart Failure Care Planning: Considerations in Older Patients

In developed countries, it is estimated that more than 10 % of adults aged over 70 years have heart failure (HF). Despite therapeutic advances, it remains a condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is one of the commonest causes of unscheduled hospital admissions in older adults and data consistently show a lower uptake of evidence-based investigations and therapies as well as higher rates of HF hospitalisations and mortality than in younger adults. These rates are highest amongst patients discharged to 'skilled nursing facilities', where comorbidities, frailty and cognitive impairment are common and have a significant impact on outcomes. In this review, we examine current guidance and its limitations and offer a pragmatic approach to management of HF in this elderly population.