Upplevelse av trygghet och otrygghet bland patienter med hjärtsvikt som får avancerad vård i hemmet: Experience of security and insecurity among patients with heart failure in advanced home care

Aim The aim of this study was to describe the experience of security and insecurity in patients with chronic heart failure who were treated by Advanced Home Care (AHC) in a city in Sweden. Background It is common for patients with heart failure to have frequent readmissions to hospital due to deterioration. The patients have various symptoms such as breathing problems, oedema and fatigue. Being cared for by AHC has become more common for patients with heart failure to reduce deterioration of heart failure and prevent hospitalization. Method A qualitative method with semi-structured interviews was used. Eight patients with heart failure participated in the study. The interviews were analysed by content analysis. Findings Three categories were identified: ‘home care’, ‘the social network’ and ‘internal and external resources’. Conclusion The experience was complex and depended on several factors both within and outside the health care situation. The need for access to a multidisciplinary team was great and it was important that the nursing staff had time to listen. It was important that the care had focus on the patient’s perspective to create security and avoid insecurity.