Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic lung disease. Those who are diagnosed with COPD struggle with airflow limitations and breathing problems caused by inflammation of the airways. Once diagnosed, there isn’t a cure, but building in new healthy habits, with assistance from home care services, can help reduce the symptoms of COPD and help your loved one manage the disease instead of having it control him.
Managing COPD
Once diagnosed with COPD, your loved one will receive a care team to help him manage his symptoms and prevent the disease from worsening. He will most likely have a respiratory therapist who will work with him on learning more about the disease while helping him monitor how his lungs are functioning. A pulmonologist will create a treatment plan and monitor the disease. And then along with his regular healthcare provider, your loved one may choose to have a home care provider assist with daily living until he can perform some tasks on his own again. A home care provider might step in and help with household chores, and transportation needs, or even help him prepare more healthy meals.
Exercising with COPD
While your loved one might be a bit nervous about exercising because of his condition, exercising regularly will help his body and his lungs to become stronger and be able to manage the disease better. With the guidance of his healthcare team, your loved one should be able to slowly add more physical activity to his day.
Five Easy Exercises to Begin With
Walking is always one of the best ways to start getting physically active. It doesn’t require a lot of equipment (although a good pair of walking shoes is important) and your loved one can find many locations to walk. Walking can take place indoors or outdoors and at any time of the day so it’s easy to fit into most people’s schedules.
Tai Chi or Yoga. These exercises focus on slow deliberate movements that exercise the heart and lungs, so they are a great way to exercise. They also emphasize reducing stress and anxiety, both of which can make COPD worse. Your loved one can look for local classes or search online for streaming classes he can do at home.
Resistance Training. Using small weights and resistance bands can help strengthen muscles which can help make breathing easier and give the body more endurance. Your loved one doesn’t need a bunch of fancy weights, he can use what is around the home like jugs and cans. Having someone like a home care provider watch over him while he exercises is a great way to make sure he doesn’t overdo it, especially at the beginning.
Stationery biking. While riding an actual bike over uneven terrain may be challenging, a stationary bike might be perfect for your loved one. He can set his speed and resistance to what he feels comfortable with and then increase over time as his strength builds up.
Swimming or water aerobics. The water helps prevent damage to other parts of the body while allowing a complete workout.
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, but your loved one should start slow and monitor how he is feeling during any type of activity. If his breathing becomes worse or he’s feeling unwell, he should stop and rest immediately.
If you are considering hiring a Home Care Service that is dedicated to the senior care market, contact 24/7 Coastal Contact today at (251) 260-0226.
Let us show you how and why we are different from any other service you may have tried in the past. Our team approach is the standard that sets us apart from the rest.
Prior to establishing 24/7 Coastal Contact, Ms. King worked for 30 years in the health care industry. Her experience began providing direct patient care. Eventually, she transitioned into home care and home infusion, then acquired her HCS-D certification as a Home Health specialty coder where she learned about the administrative burden facing Home Health and Home Care providers.
It became clear that after-hours customer service was a major toll home care industry and it was with this need in mind that 24/7 Coastal Contact was founded. Since 2018, 24/7 Coastal Contact has grown explosively. Now, we provide service to over 40 agencies in over 24 states with a 95% retention of service rate.
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