The Cardiac Rehabilitation program uses exercise and education to help cardiac patients once again enjoy activities they consider important to a high quality of life. The program offers Phase 2 and Phase 3 cardiac rehabilitation.
Phase 2
Nurses and an exercise physiologist closely supervise and monitor the group exercise sessions monitoring heart rate and heart rhythms. Blood pressure is also checked. The exercise sessions take place three times per week and normally continue for 12 weeks. Patients and family members are encouraged to attend classes about healthy lifestyles.
Phase 3
Phase 3 participants use the same equipment they used in Phase 2, but no longer wear a heart monitor.
Education
Education about heart disease is also an important part of the rehabilitation process at Wooster Community Hospital. Patients and their families are given information on a wide variety of topics, all of which are related to recovering from heart disease and preventing future heart disease. This education begins while the patient is still in the hospital and is expanded greatly in the outpatient Phase 2 Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.
Lifestyle changes
Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight, increasing physical activity levels, controlling blood pressure and reducing blood cholesterol levels can reduce the risk of future heart disease. All participants in the Phase 2 program are referred to a clinical dietitian for advice on healthy eating.