The American Lung Association estimates that approximately 24 million people throughout the United States are living with COPD. Short for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD is a group of progressive diseases of the lungs that obstruct airflow. The two most common of these disorders are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These diseases can dramatically impact your parent’s health and well-being, and their quality of life as they age in place. Understanding their risk factors can help you to make care choices that can reduce their risk, or that can help to better prepare you for the care that you will need to give them as they deal with this condition if it does arise.
Some of the risk factors and contributing issues of COPD include:
• Being over the age of 45. Up to 90 percent of cases of certain types of COPD are in those who are over the age of 45, and the risk for development of the disease increases with age.
• Being a woman. Women are up to twice as likely to develop some forms of COPD as men.
• Being exposed to air pollution throughout life.
• Frequent breathing-in of secondhand smoke.
• Having worked in an industry that involved fumes, chemicals, and dust.
• Personal history of respiratory infections when they were younger.
• Alpha-1 deficiency.
If your aging parent has been diagnosed with COPD or is at elevated risk for this condition, now may be the ideal time for you to consider starting elderly care for them. An elderly home care services provider can be with your aging parent on a customized schedule designed not just to address your loved one’s COPD symptoms or risk, but their other individual challenges, needs, and limitations, as well as their desire for independence, activity, and engagement. This can help your parent to live a lifestyle that is fulfilling and enjoyable even as they deal with the consequences of their health conditions. This can include helping them to understand the health condition that they are dealing with as well as the instructions that were given to them by their doctor. They can then provide reminders to help them remain compliant with their medications and treatments, and encouragement to make the lifestyle decisions that are right for their disease and their individual needs. If your aging parent is at risk for developing COPD but has not yet developed it, this care provider can help them to keep their body stronger and healthier by encouraging healthy choices including a balanced diet, physical activity, and support to stop bad lifestyle choices such as smoking. If your parent does develop the condition, these efforts can still help them to stay healthier and enjoy better quality of life as they age. As a family caregiver this can give you reassurance that your parent will be as safe, healthy, and comfortable as possible as they age in place both when you are able to be with them and when you are not.
If you or an aging loved one are in need of elderly care in Huntington, NY or the surrounding areas, contact the caring professionals at Star Multi Care Services today at (631)956-8835. We are the Right Choice for Home Health Care Services!
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