COPD takes a large toll on your senior and her ability to function as the disease progresses. By the time your senior is nearing the later stages of COPD, she may be exhausted and frustrated by all of the tasks that are so much more difficult for her now.
Anxiety and Depression Become a Bigger Issue
Depression and anxiety are always at play with COPD, but they become worse in the later stages of the disease. By this point, your senior knows what COPD is doing to her and how it impacts her quality of life. She may be grieving even more for what she’s lost and what she’s continuing to lose. Also, experiencing severe shortness of breath is anxiety-inducing and can cause her to hyperventilate, leading to more issues with breathing.
Adjust Your Own Attitude
How you approach your senior’s worsening COPD matters, too. There may be times when you need to be the rock for your senior and falling apart because of what she’s experiencing just isn’t something you can do. Feel your feelings and know that they’re valid, but make sure that you’re presenting a positive face to your senior.
Confusion Is More Prominent
Your senior isn’t getting as much oxygen as she needs right now. Her body is working harder and harder to try to keep itself going, and it’s doing so with limited oxygen. As a result, your senior may seem to be more confused than usual, especially in situations that she’s dealt with perfectly fine before. Staying calm and conserving her energy can help.
Try to Keep Her from Overdoing
The later stages of COPD are draining. It’s way too easy for your elderly family member to overdo things, even if she’s not doing much at all. Resting is going to be a key component of her care plan at this point. She may want to start scheduling a set amount of rest time per hour, especially if she’s trying to keep doing things for herself.
Let End-of-life Care Services Help
End-of-care providers can be incredibly helpful in the later stages of COPD. In addition to helping you and your senior with equipment and breathing treatments that can be helpful, they can also recommend specific breathing exercises and serve as a liaison for your senior’s doctor so that she doesn’t have to keep going back and forth to the hospital or doctor’s office for treatments.
Help your senior to be more patient with herself as she enters the later stages of COPD. It’s normal to feel frustrated about what’s difficult to do now, but she doesn’t have to go through this alone.
If you are or a loved one is considering end-of-life care in Norcross, GA, please call the caring staff at Arcturus Hospice and Palliative Care today. Call 678-383-9973 today to speak to our care team.
Kate Gorinshteyn is the director of marketing at Arcturus Health Care. Arcturus is a fast-growing Hospice striving to provide the highest level of quality care to patients faced with life-limiting illnesses. Our goal is to make each patient as pain-free as possible and give physiological, emotional and spiritual support to both the patient and family. We understand that the decision change from curative to comfort care is difficult, and our team is trained to help you every step of the way!
We are proud to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.