The randomized controlled study will be conducted in order to evaluate the effects of individual needs of physical exercise, nutrition, and symptom management in patients with heart failure who are frail and older. Patients discharged from a geriatric hospital will be recruited and included after informed consent. Two weeks after hospital discharge patients are randomized to intervention or control group. The intervention period is 3 months. With support from a physioterapeut, dietician and a registered nurse, the intervention will be performed in the participants´ home. Once a week participants will come to the hospital for physical exercise led by a physiotherapist. Once a week or every other week participants will meet a dietician and a nurse. Data will be collected at baseline, and 3 and 6 months after baseline. Data consist of e.g. study flow description, number of eligible patients, number of drop-outs, patients sociodemographic- and clinical data, physical function and performance, nutritional status, symptom burden, self-care, appetite, thirst, health-related quality of life. At 12 months after baseline, data will be collected on hospital admissions, reasons for hospital admissions, length of stay and mortality.
The overall purpose of the randomized controlled study is to evaluate the effects of physical exercise, nutrition and symptom management on physical capacity in older, frail persons with heart failure.