Watching a family member suffer with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not an easy thing to do. However, seniors living with COPD can greatly benefit from having caregivers who are knowledgeable about the disease and how to treat it.
Kenny Higdon of 5 Star Home Care“Getting patients with COPD back to a functional quality of life is absolutely doable,” said Kenny Higdon, owner of 5 Star Home Care. “Part of that is staying in the mindset that caregivers can help.”
Higdon’s business provides assistance to Tennesseans living with disabilities or recovering from injuries, illnesses or age-related needs. This includes seniors who struggle to breathe because of COPD – a condition of emphysema and chronic bronchitis – usually caused by smoking or other long-term exposure to lung irritants such as air pollution, chemical fumes or dust.
The progressive disease is the third leading cause of death in the United States, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Severe COPD may prevent someone from doing basic activities such as walking, cooking or taking care of oneself. To give you a better understanding of how a caregiver can improve the life of a loved one living with COPD, here are 10 ways that 5 Star Home Care caregivers help their patients feel better and slow the progress of the disease: