COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a lung condition that affects a person’s ability to breathe. It’s characterized by shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, and tightness or pain in the chest. COPD is a progressive lung illness, which means it gets worse over time. COPD progresses at different rates for every patient, and eventually patients benefit greatly from extra help. Home care assistance makes a huge difference for seniors who are battling COPD.
Support with Daily Tasks
Most people don’t realize how much energy daily tasks take. But for seniors with COPD, walking around the house can cause them to feel winded. Doing more intensive tasks like vacuuming, carrying laundry, or even cooking can be incredibly exhausting. Home care providers can handle some of these tasks for seniors, or at least help with them.
Nutritional Support
Nutrition is a complicated topic for COPD patients. They need calories because their bodies are burning calories at an accelerated rate just to get oxygen through the body. It’s also more difficult to eat because inflammation in the lungs can take up space the stomach might need to expand. Eating also requires more energy than people realize, and that’s all after cooking. Home care assistance can help seniors eat smaller meals that are high in nutrients, ensuring they get the calories they need.
Emotional Support
Any chronic health issue can be emotionally challenging. COPD in particular causes seniors to experience a great deal of loss. They may no longer be able to engage in hobbies they enjoyed, for instance. It’s not uncommon at all for seniors with COPD to experience depression and anxiety. They also may self-isolate because of how much their lives have changed. Elder care providers can offer companionship and support that helps COPD patients cope.
Conservation of Energy
When seniors have a health issue that is exhausting, they need to conserve as much energy as possible. Working with home care assistance is a fantastic way for seniors to preserve their energy for what they have to do on their own. As their energy levels fluctuate, the help that home care providers offer can also change. It can be really tough for seniors with COPD to adjust to conserving their energy, and caregivers can help them adjust.
Daily Routine Reminders
Regular daily routines are important for COPD patients. They often take medications that are most helpful when they’re taken on time. They may also have breathing exercises or other tasks that they need to engage in regularly. Home care assistance can make it easier for seniors with COPD to stay on target with these tasks, developing routines that allow for fun as well.
Managing COPD is a big job. Family caregivers can help a lot, but COPD care can be overwhelming for them, too. Home care assistance offers a way for seniors with COPD to get customized care that meets their individual needs. As they need more or less help, caregivers can adjust to accommodate those needs and help seniors hit their unique goals.
If you or an aging loved one are considering home care assistance in Brookline, MA, please contact the caring staff at PlatinumCare + today. Call (617) 237-0867.
PlatinumCare + was born out of the desire and passion to provide the very best home health care possible in Brookline, Dover, Newton, Needham, Watertown, Weston, Cambridge, Lincoln, Sudbury, Belmont, Boston MA, and surrounding areas.
All with decades of experience, Tim in IT Operations, Support, and Management, Brenda in Client Relations, Healthcare Services & Sales Management, and Anne in Healthcare as a Nurse Practitioner combined their skills to form what is now PlatinumCare +.
As immigrants to the US, all came from backgrounds where Healthcare for aging parents was a responsibility of the immediate family and the entire community. Aging, sick, or terminal community members were cared for physically, emotionally, and financially by family, friends, including strangers! This community approach, Healthcare with a difference, delivered with the utmost love, care, sacrifice, and passion, forms the basis of how PlatinumCare + grounds itself.
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