Heart failure service just the ticker for Ken

IF HOME is where the heart is then a hospital in one part of Swansea provides a caring home from home for hundreds of people every year.

- JAMES ARNOTT Print editor

Among them is fitness enthusiast Ken Palmer, who was still doing long-distance bike rides until, aged 70, he had a diagnosis of heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy, one of the common causes.

Four years on and Ken continues to be monitored by Swansea Bay's community heart failure service, seeing the specialist nurse and pharmacist team either virtually or face-to-face at Gorseinon Hospital.

"It never enters my head that I'm not well," he said. "It helps that I'm so well looked after here. I've had wonderful treatment. Everyone is great."

And it's not just Ken who benefits from the service but wife Sharon too, with the couple having nothing but praise.

"The service provided by the heart failure team has been outstanding," said Sharon. "It has made what has been a very difficult time for me and Ken so much easier to deal with because of their care and support."

Heart failure is a long-term condition, with the heart unable to pump blood around the body as effectively as it should. Symptoms can include shortage of breath, fatigue and fluid in the legs.

It is caused by conditions such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, and arrhythmias. It can affect people of any age, though it is significantly more common in the elderly.

While heart failure cannot be cured, a combination of lifestyle changes, medication, and specialist care can effectively manage symptoms, improve quality of life, and enhance long-term outcomes.