Talk with Her Doctor about What to Expect
Your senior’s doctor is the first stop on the plan to make sure that you’re doing all that you can to help her to manage her COPD. There may be a combination of medications, exercise programs, and dietary needs that help her to feel the best that she can feel. It’s not possible to cure COPD, but you can help your senior to remain as comfortable as possible for a much longer time than you would think possible.
Make Some Plans for Worsening Symptoms
At some point your senior’s COPD is going to grow worse. COPD id a progressive disease that doesn’t currently have a cure or a way to reverse the damage that’s happening. Part of the information that you should get from your senior’s doctor will be about how her COPD is expected to progress and what you can do about her symptoms. Knowledge is a big part of making those plans.
Start Lining up Extra Help Now
So many seniors have a tough time learning how to let people help them. For a senior with COPD, it’s vital to learn to accept that help sooner rather than later. Having help from elder care providers now can start to take some of the heavy lifting off your senior’s shoulders so that she can conserve her energy a bit. Then, as she needs more help down the line, she can lean on them with more trust.
Add Assistive Tools to the Mix
Assistive tools are sometimes annoying, especially for seniors. Your elderly family member might see these tools as a sign that she’s growing older and therefore try to avoid them. But tools like walkers, grabbers, and other devices can help her to conserve energy. They can also make daily activities a lot easier, which just makes sense overall.
Don’t Forget Yourself
You need to remember to put yourself in this plan, too. You’re part of the equation of your senior’s care and you need to be sure you’re going to be there for her. This means ensuring that you’re resting, eating well, and exercising, too. That way you’re going to be in better shape to pick up the slack for your senior.
The biggest part of this plan is to reassess periodically. Look at what is still working for your senior and what isn’t so that you can make changes accordingly for her.
If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Elder Care in Gulfport, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.
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Becky Moultrie is Owner and Administrator of Assisting Hands Home Care Serving Pinellas. Guided by a motto to Do Good with Love, she’s well positioned to do just that at Assisting Hands. She has a passion for helping families keep seniors and those who are diabled happy and healthy at home. She serves on a number of boards in Pinellas County including the Pinellas Park Gateway Chamber and Better Living Seniors (BLS), leading the Membership Committee. Annually, she hosts a Silver Santa Party, collecting donations for nearly 100 low income seniors in the county. She attends Blessed Sacrament Church, Seminole where she is an Ascribed Member of the Rosminian Order. When not busy Doing Good in the community, Becky is at home with her husband David & their 4 children, tending to their beehives and digging in the garden.
