Course Description:

The number of people with cardiac and/or pulmonary disease is escalating, to the point that for people over the age of 65, these disease processes are responsible for the highest rate of hospitalization and re-hospitalization, secondary to the higher risks associated with each. These disease processes often contribute to each other, heart failure may lead to pulmonary hypertension and COPD has been associated with risk for cardiovascular disease and heart failure. Interdisciplinary therapy programs with cardiac and pulmonary protocols have proven to be effective to improve the health of patients and enable a more active lifestyle, as well as to help a person return to their prior level of function. In addition, through the defined monitoring programs, therapists are able to note, document and report any initial abnormal findings, which may occur during exercise as early onset of an exacerbation, with the teamwork results of preventing a hospital readmission. This course will provide therapists with evidence based practices and resources to treat the cardiopulmonary patient for improved outcomes.