Providing compassionate in-home and out-patient care in Plymouth, NH

Surviving a Heart Attack: Why Care in the First Hours is Critical

February is Heart Disease Awareness Month!

In the United States, about 790,000 people have a heart attack each year. With numbers like that, it’s likely that you, or someone close to you, will have a heart attack during your lifetime. Luckily, many people survive heart attacks and go on to live fulfilling lives. And the odds for this happy outcome are far higher among folks who recognize they’re having a heart attack and get the right care, right away.

Protect yourself and your loved ones by understanding what causes this health crisis and how prompt treatment can save a life.

What is a Heart Attack?

Your heart has the tough job of pumping blood and oxygen through the coronary arteries all along your body. A heart attack happens when plaque builds up in your arteries over time and blocks the flow of blood. Without blood bringing oxygen to the heart muscle, the area of your heart supplied by that artery begins to die.

This is the moment when quick medical care is critical: A blockage that’s re-opened in two to three hours will cause far less damage than one left untreated for five or six hours.

Know Your Risk and Prepare for the Worst

As with most diseases, there are risk factors for heart disease you can influence with treatment or lifestyle change, and others you cannot. Some factors such as your age, gender and family history can’t be changed. However, others can be better managed to help reduce your risk for heart disease and heart attack, including your:

  • Alcohol or Tobacco Use
  • Blood Pressure
  • Diabetes
  • LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Stress Level
  • Weight

Both your family history and certain lifestyle choices should be reviewed with your doctor at each well visit — especially at your annual physical. These routine checkups are designed to provide an opportunity for you and your doctor to determine your risk for certain diseases and conditions, put a screening plan in place, discuss any health changes and create a plan for any needed lifestyle changes.

What to Do If You Suspect a Heart Attack

If you suspect you or a loved one is having a heart attack, call 911, where you’ll be taken to your local Emergency Room to get expert help right away. People who get to the hospital quickly have the best chance for survival. They also have a better recovery, since opening the blocked artery as soon as possible means less heart muscle dies.

The key to getting the help you need, when you need it, is recognizing the signs of a heart attack.

While the most classic symptom is sudden severe chest pain, not all heart attacks give such a clear signal. In fact, many heart attacks are silent, causing few or no symptoms at all.

Heart attack symptoms can begin gradually or suddenly, and may be mild or severe. You or your loved one may experience:

  • Cold Sweat
  • A Sense of Impending Doom
  • Nausea, Stomach Pain or Heartburn-Like Symptoms
  • Pain, Pressure, Squeezing or Other Discomfort in the Chest
  • Pain Radiating From the Jaw, Neck Shoulders or Arms
  • Shortness of Breath
  • Unusual Fatigue

It’s especially important to know these symptoms if you or someone you love is at higher than average risk for a heart attack.

In addition, women can have more subtle heart attack symptoms that are easily mistaken for other health conditions, such as anxiety. These include:

  • Dizziness
  • Heartburn or constant indigestion
  • Nausea
  • Pressure between your shoulder blades
  • Rapid heart beat
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Unexplained extreme fatigue that can last for days

Every Moment Counts

It’s smart to work at lowering your heart attack risks, so you can avoid this frightening and dangerous health crisis. In the meantime, remember the symptoms of heart attack and call 911 if you think you or someone nearby is having one — even if you’re not sure.

Pemi-Baker Community Health’s Home Care team will be by your side as soon as you return home; helping you recover and regain independence day by day.

~by Anna Swanson

Pemi-Baker Community Health Recognized as a ‘We Honor Veterans’ Partner

It may surprise many people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are Veterans. To help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and women, Pemi-Baker Community Health (PBCH) has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.


As a We Honor Veterans Partner, PBCH will implement ongoing Veteran-centered education for their staff and volunteers to help improve the care they provide to the Veterans they proudly serve. The nation is seeing many of the Veterans who served in World War II and Korean pass away—and the number of deaths of Vietnam Veterans is beginning to rise.

The We Honor Veterans campaign provides tiered recognition to organizations that demonstrate a systematic commitment to improving care for Veterans. “Partners” can assess their ability to serve Veterans and, using resources provided as part of the campaign, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care to Veterans into their organization. By recognizing the unique needs of our nation’s Veterans who are facing a life-limiting illness, Pemi-Baker Community Health & Hospice is better able to accompany and guide Veterans and their families toward a more peaceful ending. And in cases where there might be some specific needs related to the Veteran’s military service, combat experience or other traumatic events, PBCH will find tools to help support those they are caring for.

“We thank Pemi-Baker Community Health for partnering in the We Honor Veterans program,” says NHPCO President & CEO Ed Banach. “We Honor Veterans partners are committed to providing quality Veteran-centric care to the Veteran patients they serve. They understand how a Veteran’s military service, combat experience or other traumatic events, could impact their end-of-life experience.”

The resources of We Honor Veterans focus on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful acknowledgment, coupled with Veteran-centric education of health care staff caring for Veterans. To learn more about We Honor Veterans or to support this important work via a secure, online donation, please visit www.wehonorveterans.org.
“VA shares a common goal with our nation’s hospices, and that is to provide the best possible care specifically tailored for Veterans, meeting their goals of care in their preferred setting. As we focus on working together and unite our services and skills, We Honor Veterans will channel our combined strengths directly to Veterans – wherever they are receiving care,” added Banach.

With 52 years of experience, serving over 900 clients from 18 towns in central and northern New Hampshire, Pemi-Baker Community Health is the home care provider of choice for Grafton County. Services include at-home healthcare (VNA), hospice and palliative care, on-site physical and occupational therapy and fitness memberships including a fitness gym and fitness classes in our 90-degree therapy pool. PBCH is located at 101 Boulder Point Drive, Suite 3, Plymouth, NH. To contact us please call: 603-536-2232 or email: info@pbhha.org Visit our website: www.pbhha.org and like our Facebook Page: @PBCH4

~By Anna Swanson

“They are so pleasant and willing to help.”

They talk kindly and gently guide my mother to do what she needs to do.  It is as if this is not 'just a job' but they really are enjoying what they do.  They are happy!

Sister of a Hospice Patient
Pemi-Baker Community Health
2020-01-17T12:43:19-05:00
They talk kindly and gently guide my mother to do what she needs to do.  It is as if this is not 'just a job' but they really are enjoying what they do.  They are happy! Sister of a Hospice Patient

“I’m so happy that I found PBCH!”

I live in Meredith and wanted to exercise in a pool.  The aquatic classes here at Pemi-Baker are fantastic.  I am a member of the 7 am class and we meet three times a week for an amazing class run by Liz.  She changes it up every time and works us with a variety of cardio, strength, flexibility, balance and stretching.  The aquatic program here offers a variety of classes throughout the day; so very easy to fit it into your routine.  I highly recommend that you check it out.  Everyone is very welcoming and we have a lot of fun getting our exercise in.

L. Rice

Pemi-Baker Community Health
2020-01-17T12:31:13-05:00

L. Rice

I live in Meredith and wanted to exercise in a pool.  The aquatic classes here at Pemi-Baker are fantastic.  I am a member of the 7 am class and we meet three times a week for an amazing class run by Liz.  She changes it up every time and works us with a variety of cardio, strength, flexibility, balance and stretching.  The aquatic program here offers a variety of classes throughout the day; so very easy to fit it into your routine.  I highly recommend that you check it out.  Everyone is very welcoming and we have a lot of fun getting our exercise in.

“I had a sore knee keeping me from hiking and skiing.”

The therapy treatments and recommended exercises put me back outdoors enjoying my passions in no time.  Excellent staff was very helpful!

S. Baker

Pemi-Baker Community Health
2020-01-17T12:23:39-05:00

S. Baker

The therapy treatments and recommended exercises put me back outdoors enjoying my passions in no time.  Excellent staff was very helpful!

“The Joint Mobility class has made a world of difference for me!”

I'm in less pain, I sleep through the night, which I haven't done in years, and I've met some of the nicest people.  I look forward to this class so much; when Thursday comes I dread waiting till next Tuesday to see you.
Pemi-Baker Community Health
2020-01-17T12:02:46-05:00
I'm in less pain, I sleep through the night, which I haven't done in years, and I've met some of the nicest people.  I look forward to this class so much; when Thursday comes I dread waiting till next Tuesday to see you.

“Everyone is so understanding supportive and kind.”

From the director to the nurses to the health care workers.  So cheerful, helpful and accommodating.  This is our second time receiving assistance from PBCH and we are very lucky to have found this amazing group!  Thank you PBCH for your excellent care and compassion.

Leila L.

Pemi-Baker Community Health
2020-01-17T13:19:24-05:00

Leila L.

From the director to the nurses to the health care workers.  So cheerful, helpful and accommodating.  This is our second time receiving assistance from PBCH and we are very lucky to have found this amazing group!  Thank you PBCH for your excellent care and compassion.

“We bonded as people and worked together as a team.”

My therapy experience has been all about partnership. This was the key to success ! My rehab was similar to that of an athlete with the therapists as my trainers using their expertise to progress my knee to the next level, the next stage.

‘Woody’ & Jake

Pemi-Baker Community Health
2019-11-07T12:20:00-05:00

‘Woody’ & Jake

My therapy experience has been all about partnership. This was the key to success ! My rehab was similar to that of an athlete with the therapists as my trainers using their expertise to progress my knee to the next level, the next stage.

“We’ve loved the swim lessons at Pemi-Baker.”

Anna's gentle and encouraging instruction was just right for making our daughter feel comfortable in the water. We're looking forward to continuing the lessons!
Pemi-Baker Community Health
2019-11-07T12:26:12-05:00
Anna's gentle and encouraging instruction was just right for making our daughter feel comfortable in the water. We're looking forward to continuing the lessons!
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