Caring for a Loved One with COPD

If your loved one has COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), she may reach a point where she needs 24-hour care. You might be able to help manage her disease by moving in with her, or you might find you want to hire a provider who offers 24-hour home care to help you give your loved one the best care that you can. It may not be possible due to space or distance to live with your parent and if she doesn’t want to move into an assisted living facility, having a team of 24-hour home care providers who work in shifts to provide round-the-clock care may be your best solution. Your loved one will get the care she needs while being able to stay in her home.

There are plenty of reasons why a person with COPD will need 24-hour home care. Here are just a few of them.

1. Multiple doctor visits. Most patients with COPD need to have regular checkups and appointments to be evaluated for how their health is managed. This requires plenty of transportation time, along with a knowledge of what to ask for, and an understanding of all of the new treatments and processes. As a caregiver, going to each appointment will help your loved one through the sea of information, preparing her to better care for herself.
2. Medication management. Your loved one might have inhalers, pills, and even an oxygen tank to help her breathe and stay healthy. All of those need constant monitoring to ensure your loved one doesn’t run out when she needs it the most. Finding a system of keeping on top of when the next refill is needed, as well as helping your loved one stay on schedule with her treatments can feel like a full-time job in and of itself. This is a great place where a 24-hour home team can help you manage these important details.
3. Home safety. If your loved one is still living in her own home, helping it to be safe is an important part of managing her COPD. The air quality needs to be kept pristine, with no smoke or pollutants in the air. If she needs to use a walker or has an oxygen tank that needs to be brought along with her everywhere, the floors need to be kept clean of any tripping hazards.
4. Help around the home. It may become difficult for your loved one to make meals from fresh ingredients due to the extra steps it takes to clean and prep food for a freshly made meal. A 24-hour home team can be a great asset in making sure your loved one gets healthy, nutritious food that will build up her immune system while tasting delicious.
5. Monitoring health. A flare-up can occur at any time, even in the middle of the night, and having someone nearby to provide immediate assistance is necessary to make sure your loved one can recover quickly and completely.

Living with COPD provides some obstacles but with a great 24-hour home care team, you don’t have to do it all.