COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a progressive lung disease. It causes shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and other symptoms. Over time, COPD gets worse and worse, often leaving aging adults using oxygen concentrators around the clock. Seniors with COPD typically face reduced quality of life and other difficulties, especially as their illness progresses. Managing these challenges is a lot easier with help from home care providers.
Work on Home Modifications
Seniors with COPD may need to make some home modifications in order to make life easier. Specific triggers that worsen COPD, like chemicals, humidity, and dust, can all cause exacerbations. Elder care providers can work with family caregivers to determine what changes might help seniors with COPD have the best possible experience as they age in place.
Encourage Daily Movement
Before they start any sort of movement plan, COPD patients need to talk to their doctors. For many COPD patients, regular exercise helps them to build muscle strength and endurance. Physical activity can also be exhausting, however. Balancing movement with rest helps to ensure that seniors with COPD don’t stress their lungs too much while still getting the benefits of moving more.
Make Meals Count
COPD causes seniors to burn a ton of calories on a daily basis. Without replenishing at least some of those calories with nutrient-rich foods, seniors with COPD tend to lose a lot of weight. Most of them can’t afford to lose too much weight. Home care providers can help seniors with COPD to include more healthy food options in their daily meals. When cooking is too difficult for seniors with COPD, professional caregivers can support them by making sure healthy foods are available.
Remind Seniors to Rest
While moving can be helpful, seniors with COPD do need to conserve their energy. Resting when they need to ensures that they are less likely to experience exacerbations and illnesses related to COPD. Home care providers can take over light household tasks, laundry, and other daily tasks that require a lot of energy to manage. Seniors can focus on doing other things that help move the needle on keeping them healthier.
Bring in Extra Help
When seniors are diagnosed with COPD, it’s a good idea to bring in some extra help as soon as possible. Home care providers understand the challenges that seniors and family caregivers face, especially when dealing with serious health issues like COPD. They can lend their experience to families, ensuring that they have the information and help necessary to keep seniors as healthy as possible while they keep aging in place.
Life with COPD is complicated and gets even more so as COPD worsens. By the time seniors are on oxygen around the clock, they may have difficulty with all sorts of everyday tasks, including cooking themselves meals and keeping their homes clean and safe. Home care providers can take care of any of these tasks and more, doing whatever they can to make life easier for family caregivers and seniors alike.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care in Coon Rapids, MN, and the surrounding areas, please contact the friendly staff at CareBuilders at Home Minnesota. Call today 612-260-2273.
