If you are the primary caregiver of someone living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you may feel unsure how to navigate the symptoms and stresses of this distressing disease. You may also not realize that hospice can help improve quality of life for those living with COPD while providing an extra layer of support for the family caregiver. Here, in this blog, we’ll share five ways hospice helps those living with COPD. Our key message is that Roze Room doesn’t want you to struggle alone.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a lifelong, progressive lung disease. People with COPD experience shortness of breath, fatigue, persistent cough, and other distressing symptoms.
Living with COPD can be a roller-coaster for both the patient and family caregivers. There can be periods of stability when the patient shows no symptoms at all, and other times when you’re making that frightening 3 a.m. run to the emergency room (ER). This unpredictability makes caring for someone with COPD difficult to manage alone.
Serious illnesses like COPD are never easy. But there is support available that can dramatically improve quality of life and reduce the burden and stress of illness.
Here are five ways hospice helps those living with COPD:
Prevention of hospital admissions and ER visits. After discharge from a hospital, 20% of COPD patients are readmitted within 30 days. This back-and-forth to the hospital is stressful for both the patient and their family caregiver. Many people don’t realize that hospice provides expert care. At Roze Room we’re uniquely trained in the management of COPD. Our proactive pain and symptom management helps catch and resolve issues early to avoid crises, helping keep your loved one at home.
Management of distressing symptoms. Hospice provides management of COPD symptoms including shortness of breath, chest pain, stress, depression, and more. Roze Room’s specialized team includes registered nurses and hospice physicians uniquely trained in the management and treatment of COPD.
Education about the disease. Hospice provides education about the disease process, helping you understand your loved one’s disease and how to prepare for changing needs.
Whole-person care. Hospice provides whole-person, patient-focused care including physical, social, spiritual, and emotional support.
Access to care. Hospice patients and their caregivers have access to an on-call registered nurse 24/7, and a nurse can visit anytime, day or night. Knowing someone is available can relieve an incredible amount of stress and worry, especially during those late nights when symptoms seem to worsen. With hospice there is always someone available to take care of any concerns that may arise.
It’s important to understand the symptoms of the disease, its progress, and when it’s time for Roze Room to bring an extra layer of support. COPD is a progressive disease, and as the disease advances, COPD patients and caregivers may want assistance with managing the increasing needs of the patient.
Roze Room Hospice can greatly improve the quality of life for COPD patients and their loved ones. Our specialized teams of caregivers include registered nurses and hospice physicians uniquely trained in the management and treatment of COPD. By providing both medical and personal care to control symptoms and reduce anxiety, stress, and worry, we can improve the quality of life for families coping with COPD. If you are a family caregiver and have questions about the management of COPD and how to improve peace of mind and quality of life, learn how we can help.
