Achieving and Maintaining Optimum Cardiovascular Health

Cardiac Rehabilitation at Del Sol LifeCare Center is a medically supervised, progressive exercise and education program for individuals with cardiovascular disease.

Under the supervision of our attending physicians and working closely with the patient’s personal physician, our multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals will assist patients in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Our team includes ACLS certified, experienced critical care nurses and exercise physiologists as well as health educators, and registered dietitians.

Del Sol LifeCare Center has achieved program certification for cardiac rehabilitation by The American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). AACVPR certification is bestowed only to programs rigorously reviewed by a national board and found to meet essential requirements for standards of care.

Referring physicians should consider our Cardiac Rehabilitation program as an extension of their practice. The patient exercises three days per week and data is collected each session that will help the physician know if what they are doing for their patient is effective… “Do I have my patient on the right medication, at the right dose? Is my patient experiencing any symptoms or irregularities in heart rhythm when activity is increased?” The referring physician is notified of any information helpful in achieving the best outcome for their patient.

Cardiac Rehabilitation patients achieve:

• Improved efficiency of the heart
• Lower blood pressure and heart rate
• Increased strength and stamina
• Increased quality of life and well-being
• Increased knowledge of lifestyle management strategies to reduce risk of future cardiovascular events
• Support for lifestyle changes such as smoking cessation, stress management, and diabetes management.

Del Sol LifeCare Center Cardiac Rehabilitation Program is designed for patients who have had:

• A heart attack 
• Heart bypass surgery 
• Stable Angina 
• Angioplasty with or without stent placement 
• Heart valve repair or replacement 
• Heart transplant

These conditions often require patients to make lifestyle changes following their procedure including regular exercise, dietary modifications, smoking cessation, and stress management.

How the program works:

The LifeCare Center Cardiac Rehab team wants the patient and physician to be VERY SATISFIED with the cardiac rehab experience.

Upon referral, program orientations are held regularly in English and Spanish.

The exercise program is individualized according to the patient’s medical history, a preliminary physical evaluation, and a functional exercise test. An initial appointment will be scheduled to assess each patient. Exercise sessions are conducted in our well-equipped rehabilitation center. The equipment includes treadmills, stationary bicycles, ellipticals, recumbent cycles and steppers, rowing machines, selectorized weight machines, and free weights to gradually build strength and stamina. Every session is telemetry monitored and lasts for approximately one hour. Up to 36 sessions of monitored cardiac rehabilitation may be approved by the insurance provider.

Progress is assessed throughout the program and modified according to patient improvement, initial goals and if necessary, physician recommendations. The referring physician is kept informed of patient progress.

Support and Information:

In addition to the exercise component, cardiac rehabilitation offers valuable education and support for patients and family members. Classes are held weekly and cover a variety of topics:

• Nutritional information (Basic Nutrition, Recipe Modification, Nutrition Label Reading) 
• Stress and Relaxation 
• Lipids (Cholesterol and Triglycerides) 
• Navigating the Healthcare System with Confidence 
• Love, Sex, and Your Health 
• Medications 
• Healing from the Inside Out (Depression) 
• Benefits of Exercise 
• Self-Assessment

Each patient receives a one-on-one consultation with our registered dietitian. Family members who serve as caregivers are welcome to come to any of the classes and the diet consultation.

Admission:

Admission to Del Sol LifeCare Center Cardiac Rehabilitation is by physician referral only. Cardiac rehabilitation is covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurers. Our staff will verify insurance coverage and communicate any out-of-pocket expense to each patient in a timely manner.

To learn more about our program and eligibility requirements we offer a free orientation held every Tuesday in English and twice monthly in Spanish. Please call (915) 594-1477 for more information.

Cardiac Rehabilitation Services at Del Sol LifeCare Center are located at 7852 Gateway East Blvd. (directly across I-10 from Del Sol Medical Center)

Visit the Cardiology Services section to learn more about all services offered at all Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare locations.