Category: Health Tips

Brought to you by Home Health Care Experts in Enfield

If a senior in your life has been overwhelmed with chronic coughing, wheezing, and fatigue, being diagnosed with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) just might be the first step to improving her quality of life.

Sometimes hearing a diagnosis can be a relief for those who unknowingly struggle with COPD. Finally there’s a name for the condition and a definite plan to treat it!

Here’s what the doctor will do to diagnose COPD:

• Assess the senior’s health and environment, including smoking history, exposure to pollutants, symptoms, and family health history
• Order spirometry tests (breathing into a machine to check lung functioning), x-rays, and blood work
• Create a treatment plan

Since different people may experience symptoms in different ways, treatment plans can vary widely as well. Here are some ways your senior loved one’s doctor may help her manage the disease:

• Medications

– Bronchodilators, taken through an inhaler to help open airways, are available in both short-term and long-term formulas, to work immediately and taken as needed, or to be taken continually for maintenance.

– Steroids and corticosteroids work to reduce inflammation, swelling and mucous production.

– Antibiotics fight any bacterial infections in the lungs.

– Immunizations protect against flu and pneumonia, as those with COPD are at a greater risk for complications from these illnesses.

• Pulmonary therapy strengthens the lungs through guided exercise and nutrition.
• Oxygen therapy is available through liquid or gas oxygen tanks or oxygen concentrators that utilize the oxygen already in the environment.
• Lung surgery may be an option if symptoms are extremely severe.
• Palliative care, designed to improve the quality of life, is available to anyone diagnosed with COPD, regardless of the prognosis or stage of the disease.
• Clinical trials help researchers determine the success of new, experimental treatments, and is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Talk with your senior loved one’s physician to see if clinical trials are an option, and check the American Lung Association’s clinical trial search page for opportunities near you.

Whatever the doctor’s recommended plan of action, Caring Solutions’ Enfield home health care professionals are here to help. We’ll assist with personal care, such as bathing and dressing, cleaning up around the house, preparing meals, transportation and running errands, or simply be a caring person to talk with and enjoy activities together. Contact us at 877-369-5602 to learn more.

What do you do when a loved one—especially those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia—refuses to accept your help with personal care, such as bathing, dressing or using the bathroom?  Do you allow them to let personal hygiene slide, soil their clothes or room, and risk a serious accident? Or face an equally dangerous battle of the wills? There is a tender balance between helping your loved one maintain safe, effective personal care and retaining their human dignity.

With a little understanding and some tips to help, you can meet these personal care conflicts with more success and less distress.

Personal care distress can be triggered by a variety of causes:

• Loss of control. Seniors may feel like their independence and autonomy are slipping away. Keeping control over the most basic functions becomes critical to them.
  • What can help: Let your loved one maintain as much control as possible. Come up with compromises that won’t sacrifice safety. Allowing her to wear a mismatched outfit of her choice may be a better compromise than letting her dress with no assistance.
• Adherence to tradition. Standards of hygiene were far different when today’s seniors were younger, and a weekly bath, rather than a daily one, was normal. A senior whose memory is unclear may revert back to those days and balk at the idea of a daily bath or shower.
  • What can help: Use positive, motivating language to encourage your loved one to see things from a different perspective. For example, use bath time as preparation for a fun activity, such as a lunch date, for which she certainly will want to look and feel her best.
• Fear of the experience. The thought of bathing and dressing can stir up fear in older adults, and rightfully so. The risk of falling while in the tub or getting on or off the toilet is a real danger. Some seniors with dementia also become fearful of the sound of running water, or distressed by the feel of water that’s too warm or too cool.
  • What can help: Install safety modifications, such as grab bars beside the tub and toilet and elevated toilet seats, to reduce the risk of falling. Using a soft, soothing voice and explaining each step of the process in advance can also help.

When you begin daily personal care time with your loved one, keep these tips in mind:

• Always allow as much independence as possible to enhance self-esteem.
• Make sure the room is warm, use comfortable, calming lighting, and maintain as much privacy as possible.
• Lay out clothing in the order that each piece should be put on, gently giving guidance for each step if needed.

At Caring Solutions of Connecticut, we know how hard it can be for a family member to provide personal care for a senior loved one.

CTCaringSolutions.com

Contact us at 877-369-5602 for more tips or to arrange for help from our fully trained and experienced caregivers.  We want to give both you and your loved one peace of mind!