A diagnosis of heart failure can lead to feelings of loneliness, vulnerability, and confusion, but please remember, the Irish Heart Foundation is here for you.

Heart Failure Awareness Week takes place from Monday 29th April to Sunday 5th May 2024.

The Irish Heart Foundation will be holding a number of events during the week for people living with heart failure, their families and carers, and those with an interest in the topic.

These events will feature a mix of speakers, from those affected by and living with the condition to professionals who work with heart failure every day. They will share practical advice and information that you can use to help improve or enhance your quality of life.

Registration information is below for each event.

Monday 29th April

12pm – Living with Heart Failure, A Mindfulness Workshop Online

Please register in advance: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qdOCgrTMsHNY2bkmrptZ59qRwR-6oE57r

This is a one-hour workshop with Erica Balfour to introduce the ways in which a mindfulness practice can offer a roadmap to find grace and balance amid the challenges and uncertainty of illness. The workshop is for those living with a chronic condition or their caregivers and will include some meditation practices as well as tools to support living fully in the midst of loss and illness.

Erica Balfour, BSc (Environmental Science), Grad Dip Psychotherapy, Dip Counselling Skills, Dip in Mindfulness Based Interventions, Dip in Mindful Communication. Erica is nearing completion of her Masters in Psychotherapy training. Erica has been facilitating mindfulness programmes since 2014. She works with organisations and various community groups. She is a teacher trainer and a supervisor and is on the faculty for The Mindfulness Centre for Professional Training. Erica’s personal practice of mindfulness spans a period of 15 years and began as a way to cope with the anxiety of parenting a very young family & navigating the grief of losing her mother to cancer. She believes that this practice is vital to support the navigating of grief and eco-anxiety in the midst of climate breakdown and the ecological crisis.

Tuesday 30th April

12pm – Living Well with Heart Failure
In-person in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise

Please register in advance: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/living-well-with-heart-failure-event-tickets-880843997107

The Irish Heart Foundation information afternoon, supported by Novartis, is for people living with heart failure, their family members, carers and healthcare professionals. It will take place in the Killeshin Hotel, Portlaoise on Tuesday 30th of April from 12pm to 4.30pm.

Attendees will have a chance to meet others living with heart failure and hear from heart failure patients Pauline O’Shea and Fiona Meagher.

Expert speakers: Norma Caples, Heart Failure Nurse and Ger Walsh, Self-Management Support Coordinator for Long-term Health Conditions.

• Information on heart failure, self-management and how to access supports in your region.
• Information on looking after your heart health and psychological health.
• Irish Heart Foundation supports and services.
• Launch of new Take 3 Beats resource.

Wednesday 1st May

11am – Exercise and Heart Failure Online

Live in the Irish Heart Foundation’s Heart Support Network.https://www.facebook.com/groups/heartsupportnetwork/

Dr Noel McCaffrey will lead the talk on exercise and heart failure. He is founder and CEO of ExWell Medical, a social enterprise that offers structured, medically-led exercise programmes in community settings to people with diverse chronic illnesses, including heart failure, on referral from health care professionals. He developed a Master’s Programme in Sports and Exercise Medicine in University College Dublin in the early 1990’s before spending 12 years in Dublin City University where he led the growth of ExWell’s predecessor programme. In 2019 he left DCU to drive the national rollout of ExWell.

He is a consultant in Sports Medicine in Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital where he runs a musculoskeletal injury clinic and is also a Foundation Fellow of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine. In 2022 he was named as a United Nations 2022 Healthy Ageing Top 50 World Leader.

His main passion is ExWell and he is committed to the mission of making the service available through partnerships to everyone in Ireland and beyond who would benefit from it.

12pm – Nutrition Essentials in Heart Failure Online

Please register in advance: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModOqqqzMrG90xWdmze6OcRRB1rPMiue9U

There is so much more to nutrition and heart failure than reducing your salt intake. It is also about adding in therapeutic foods that your body needs to improve blood pressure control, address underlying inflammation and oxidative stress and support heart function. In this talk, Irish Heart Foundation Dietitian Orna O’Brien discusses practical dietary strategies for optimising your management of heart failure to improve your quality of life and energy levels and reduce your risk of hospital admissions. She will cover all food groups, hydration, managing a poor appetite, and lots more.

Orna O’Brien is a CORU-registered senior dietitian specialising in cardiovascular health, with special interests in behaviour change and environmentally sustainable diets. She is the dietitian for the Irish Heart Foundation where she coordinates nutrition information for the public, health professionals and patient support groups and leads several health promotion programmes. Orna has 12 years’ experience across a wide range of clinical areas, having previously worked at St James’s Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, and across industry and research settings also. Orna holds a first-class Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Trinity College Dublin (2012) and a Research Masters from University College Dublin (2014), and is a member of the INDI, the professional body for dietitians.

Thursday 2nd May

12pm – Your essential guide to Self-Care to live well with Heart Failure Online

Please register in advance: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApde-sqz8pG92OydARnx3tgiKK4TcVnRq1

Begin a journey to self-care in heart failure management. Join our informative talk titled, ‘Your Essential Guide to Self-Care to Live Well with Heart Failure,’ with Aileen Gillic where we delve into practical strategies for better living. From medication management to dietary considerations, exercise tips, symptom tracking, and more. Empower yourself with the knowledge and tools to take control of your heart health. Whether it is you or a loved one living with Heart Failure this is an opportunity to gain valuable insights to improve heart failure management and enhance quality of life. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower yourself with knowledge and take a step to improve your influence on your heart health!”

Aileen Gillic, a dedicated registered general nurse, brings a wealth of expertise to her role bolstered by specialised training in lifestyle medicine and nutrition. As a valued member of the Irish Heart Foundation patient support service, she focuses on supporting individuals recovering from strokes, heart conditions and managing chronic cardiac conditions.  Driven by a passion for empowering individuals to take control of their own health, Aileen adopts a patient-centered approach. Aileen emphasizes the importance of individuals finding their voice and purpose in navigating their health challenges.   According to Aileen, the person living with the condition serves as the project manager of their own health journey. Through support, guidance and encouragement Aileen aims to empower individuals to step into this leadership role, driving their journey towards better health outcomes.

Friday 3rd May

12pm – Heart Failure: Sorting Fact from Fiction and Understanding the Language Online

Live in the Irish Heart Foundation’s Heart Support Network. https://www.facebook.com/groups/heartsupportnetwork/

Join us for an informative journey into understanding heart failure like never before! This talk titled:  ’Heart Failure: Sorting Fact from Fiction and Understanding the Language,’ with Aileen Gillic demystifies the subject of Heart Failure, separating myths from truths and decoding medical terminology. Learn about the language around different types of heart failure, diagnostic tests, treatment options including medications and devices. Whether it is you or a loved one living with Heart Failure this is an opportunity to gain valuable insights to improve heart failure management and enhance quality of life. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower yourself with knowledge and take a step to improve your influence on your heart health!”

Aileen Gillic, a dedicated registered general nurse, brings a wealth of expertise to her role bolstered by specialised training in lifestyle medicine and nutrition. As a valued member of the Irish Heart Foundation patient support service, she focuses on supporting individuals recovering from strokes, heart conditions and managing chronic cardiac conditions.  Driven by a passion for empowering individuals to take control of their own health, Aileen adopts a patient centered approach. Aileen emphasizes the importance of individuals finding their voice and purpose in navigating their health challenges.  According to Aileen, the person living with the condition serves as the project manager of their own health journey. Through support, guidance and encouragement Aileen aims to empower individuals to step into this leadership role, driving their journey towards better health outcomes.

3pm – Detected the Undetected with Dr Angie Brown Online

Link to attend coming soon.

This event will highlight the early warning signs of heart failure and how to detect heart failure.

Dr Angie Brown is the Medical Director of the Irish Heart Foundation and consultant cardiologist at the Bon Secours Hospital, the Hermitage Clinic and the Beacon Hospital in Dublin. Dr Brown obtained her medical degree from Cambridge University and completed her cardiology training in King’s College Hospital London in the UK. After completing a Doctor of Medicine at Cambridge University assessing platelet physiology, she moved to Ireland where she worked first in Beaumont Hospital and then St James’s Hospital, before taking up her role as Medical Director of the Irish Heart Foundation. A Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Dr Brown has a special interest in imaging, particularly echocardiography, and is a strong advocate for tobacco control and cardiovascular disease prevention. She is one of the Irish national cardiovascular disease prevention coordinators working with the European Association of Preventive Cardiology and is president of the Irish Cardiac Echo and Imaging Group.