Home life and everyday routines

Heart failure may mean having to lead life at a slower pace than before. Most people noticed that they got fewer things done each day and that they sometimes became breathless and tired when they did too much. Everyday tasks like catching a bus, climbing the stairs, shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, having a shower, putting on a car seatbelt and driving could cause some difficulty. Some people accepted their limitations (one woman said it had taken her a year to adjust, but others missed their former physical strength.

She has accepted that she has to pace herself with housework.

Lifting anything too heavy and stretching made some people breathless, and several had asked friends to help them with decorating and DIY though one woman said she disliked relying on others to do her work for her. Some people living alone had help with their housework; one man said he was surprised to be offered help but was glad of it. Many went shopping with their partners or relied on friends and neighbours to do shopping for them; one woman said she now did far less shopping and so had more money, and another woman who lives alone said some local shopkeepers helped out by delivering her shopping.

He has someone who cleans his house for him.

She has a lot of help from friends with her shopping as well as from local Indian shops. (Video and audio clips in Punjabi, text in English.)

Many people were frustrated by their lack of strength; for instance a retired farmer said that hard work like digging took him twice as long as before, and a woman said she could no longer pick up her grandchildren or play football with them. Someone else said that because he couldn't do things he had given up trying, which annoyed his wife.

He finds that digging and other kinds of hard work take him twice as long as before.

Says her heart failure means she can't pick up or play rough games with her grandchildren.

He realises he must seem lazy but he cannot manage to do many things.

Some had stopped driving completely but others had not because they enjoyed it so much. One man described his car as a lifeline; another said that driving was the only way that he could get out of the house which was important to him and his wife. Another man said that though he regretted giving up his car he tried to face it philosophically.

He says that being able to drive and get out of the house is very important.

Many people had learned to pace themselves; for instance one man living on his own said that he didn't care how long it took to cook a meal or run himself a bath, and someone else said he tried to conserve his energy and would rather be delayed that run to catch a bus. Others who found that a particular activity put their hearts under strain had stopped doing it and asked their partners or children to help.

His attitude has changed and he no longer worries about the time it takes to do things.

He can no longer run to catch a bus nor can he climb the stairs easily.

He relies a great deal on his wife and family to do jobs round the house.

There were mixed feelings about what form daily exercise should take, for instance one woman said she got enough exercise doing housework and climbing the stairs. Someone else said that he preferred to drive to get his newspaper though he had to rest after putting on his seatbelt. Others had had to give up walking as a hobby and missed it a great deal (see 'Sports, hobbies and activities').

Thinks that housework and ironing give her enough exercise.

Last reviewed March 2010.