The prevalence and management of heart failure in Dutch nursing homes; design of a multi-centre cross-sectional study

Nursing home residents in the southern part of the Netherlands, aged over 65？years and receiving long-term somatic or psychogeriatric care will be included in the study. A panel of two cardiologists and a geriatrician will diagnose heart failure based on data collected from actual clinical examinations (including history, physical examination, ECG, cardiac markers and echocardiography), patient records and questionnaires. Care dependency will be measured using the Care Dependency Scale. To measure the quality of life of the participating residents, the Qualidem will be used for psychogeriatric residents and the SF-12 and VAS for somatic residents.The study will provide an insight into the actual prevalence and management of heart failure in nursing home residents as well as their quality of life and care dependency.Dutch trial register NTR2663