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Objective: to describe the self-care level of individuals with heart failure. Method: a descriptive study, performed in a cardiology outpatient clinic in Salvador, Bahia, during the period of September and October, 2017 and January, 2018. Recorded interviews were performed using appropriate instruments and applying the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale (EHFScBs). Result: the sample comprised 43 individuals of the male gender (53.5%), between the ages of 51 and 60 years (34,9%), self-declared race/skin color black (46.5%), living with a partner (51.2%), low schooling (incomplete primary education 41.9%) and low income (39.5%). In relation to self-care, the average EHFScBs score was of 30.1 (±7.4). It was evidenced that 46.5% of the interviewed parties presented inadequate self-care capacity (total score between 31 and 50 points). Conclusion: self-care behavior was between moderate and unsatisfactory, suggesting the implementation of effective educational practices to enable individuals to handle the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]