• Adherence to dietary sodium and medication taking behavior [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Physical status: 6-minute walk and brain natriuretic peptide [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Psychological status: depressive symptoms [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Health related quality of life [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

• Health resource utilization (HRUQ) [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Autonomy support (AS) [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Perceived family criticism [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  
• Knowledge [ Time Frame: 4 and 8 months after baseline enrollment. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  

Heart failure is a condition where the heart's pumping ability is reduced, causing shortness of breath, fatigue, fluid-weight gain, and swelling in the abdomen or legs among other symptoms. HF patients can learn to manage their diet, exercise, and medications to reduce these symptoms. Research has shown that people who learn communication skills that involve problem solving and support are often more successful at maintaining lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, than those who do not receive this type of training. Routine heart failure care varies, but usually includes patient education about medications and a low sodium diet to prevent fluid buildup and dietary fluid restriction. This study will help advance the scientific understanding of how to best influence and sustain recommended lifestyle changes for HF patients.

The study will investigate three ways of giving HF patients and their family members information. The first method is routine HF care; this serves as the control group. The second method adds a patient and family HF education protocol to routine HF care, and the third method adds a Family Partnership Intervention (FPI). The FPI is an experimental procedure that involves discussion and training in ways to improve communication within families. The study takes place over the course of a year. Two hundred sixty two people and their family members will be asked to participate from Emory, Crawford Long, the VA Medical Center and Grady Healthcare System.

Procedures:

All groups will participate in the following activities:

• Complete questionnaires at start of study, then 4 and 8 months afterward (3 times)
• Keep four appointments lasting 1- 4 hours at the General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) located at Emory or Grady Hospital
• Collect 24-hour urine specimens, one at the start of the study, then 4 and 8 months afterward (3 times)
• Keep a 3-day food record, writing down everything you eat and drink, starting two days before each 24-hour urine collection (3 times)
• Use a medication monitoring system attached to the bottle cap of your heart failure medications
• Take a six-minute walk test in which you walk for up to six minutes at the start of study and then 4 and 8 months afterward (3 times)
• Provide blood samples for Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) levels to determine the level of heart failure present at the start of the study and then 4 and 8 months afterward (3 times)

In addition to the above activities, you will be assigned to one of three groups by a computer program. There is a one in three chance of being in any given group.

First Method: The first group will receive routine HF care in addition to participating in the activities listed above.

Second Method: The second group will attend two HF education classes with their family member and with a registered nurse and dietician in addition to routine HF care and participating in the activities listed above. An educational HF newsletter will be sent and subjects will receive two telephone calls by an RN at two weeks and five months after start of the study (1 time for newsletter and two phone calls).

Third Method: The third group will attend patient and family HF education classes and support group meetings with their family member in addition to routine HF care and participating in the activities listed above. An educational HF newsletter with additional information about building Family Partnerships will be sent and an RN will call at two weeks and five months after start of the study (1 time for newsletter and two phone calls).