My Caregiving Journey: Comforting My Loved One Through Heart Disease

Comfort your loved one dealing with heart failure. I comforted my mother when she was dealing with heart failure by being a listening ear. I showed concern for her feelings and let her know that I was there for her when she needed me. She didn’t really ask for much, yet I let her know that whenever she needed me I would be there. I would call and check in with her daily. I would talk to my mother in the morning before my morning runs, or on my drive to work, in the afternoon on my lunch break, and at night before I went to bed. For some, that may seem like a lot, but my mother was my best friend. You may believe true best friends don’t need to talk every day but our conversations were never tiring or boring.

Comfort for a loved one with heart failure

I would show compassion, which is another great way to comfort a loved one dealing with heart failure. Ways I showed compassion for what my mother dealt with was to always offer motivating and encouraging words. I took the time to thank her for all that she did for my siblings and I throughout our lifetime. The courage and the strength she embodied was so empowering I wish she could have showed the world.

I loved to shower her with hugs and kisses whenever I was in her presence. I would offer to go shopping with her or for her. She loved to shop at popular retail stores. I would ride with her or drive her around if she didn’t have the energy. My mother was a woman who always showed people she loved and strangers alike compassion, by practicing acts of kindness. I believe by watching her throughout my life I gained a natural ability to do the same for her without her telling me what she needed. Most of the time I just knew. She loved a meaningful greeting card so, I loved to tell her how much she meant to me through a card, a gift, or with her favorite meal.

I personally believe the best comfort that anyone can receive is going outside and getting out in nature to allow the warmth of the sunshine and just allowing the nature sounds and smells to surround you. Think of how comforting the moment is when you’ve found a way to create time and space to bond with your loved one. One of my favorite bonding moments was that we would watch concert performances online of her favorite artist and sing and dance along like we were there. We were each other’s good company, we could sit and talk for hours and just listen to music. These are times I cherish; time well spent and memories I will hold on to forever.

The impact of small actions

Sometimes we don't realize how much a small action can make a huge impact in your life or someone else’s. One thing my mother did was smile, her smile was captivating, and knowing all that she dealt with, her smile shined so bright.

I would like to leave the readers with this one thing and that’s no matter what you’re going through remember to think positive. Remember that if a negative thought sneaks into your mind remember to smile and counteract it with more positive thoughts because there is comfort in those positive thoughts, so remember to smile through it all.

Do you have a heart failure story? Are you a caregiver to a loved one with heart failure? Click the button below to share with our community!