Heart failure is one of the most common discharge diagnoses and one of the leading cause of hospitalizations and readmissions among adults over 65 years of age and the rate of admissions to treat this condition has increased progressively over the past several years. The Heart Disease and Stroke statistics Report (2016) from the American Heart Association estimated the prevalence of heart failure is about 5.7 million, and an estimated 1 million hospital stays were attributable to congestive heart failure (CHF). The rate of readmissions or re-hospitalizations range from 29 t0 47 percent within three to six months of the initial discharge (Gooding, J. and Jett, AM). Furthermore, factors such as noncompliance with medications and diet and social factors, such as social isolation, frequently contribute to early readmissions, suggesting that many such readmission could be prevented (Vinson, JM, Reich, MW, Sperry, JC et al).
