One of the most noticeable things about having a cold is breathing trouble. It can be a challenge to take a deep breath. Even a normal breath can lead to feeling like you have tightness in your chest or that you can’t help coughing. Fortunately, that feeling only lasts a few days, until the cold has gone away.
A person with COPD, however, can have that feeling all the time. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a result of damage to a person’s lungs. It restricts the amount of oxygen they can take in and makes breathing difficult.
Many adults have been diagnosed with COPD — more than 600,000 people in Michigan (about 7.5% of the adult population). We see a lot of COPD patients in our end-of-life care service at Centrica Care Navigators; it’s one of the top diagnoses for hospice, along with conditions like cancer, heart disease, and dementia.
It’s safe to say that very few people want to keep making hospital visits month after month for a chronic illness.
But COPD is a common condition, so there needs to be something that people can do to keep them from unnecessary hospital visits.
A helpful alternative
There is an alternative: quality hospice and palliative care from Centrica Care Navigators. A patient receiving care from our skilled professionals doesn’t have to live their life with uncomfortable symptoms, or suddenly rush to the emergency room.
Instead, every week, as needed, doctors, nurses, aides, and others will do everything they can to help manage symptoms and make their remaining time as high-quality as it can be. This can include medication or equipment that helps them breathe with less difficulty.
Whatever the patient requires, the Centrica Care Navigators staff will partner with the patient, their loved ones, and the patient’s own doctor to make sure they are receiving the care they need, and that their wishes are being heard. Every patient’s needs and desires are different. The one-on-one connection that the care team makes with the patient helps them find out what’s most appropriate for the patient.
Someone with COPD may need assistance with breathing difficulties and other symptoms. They also need someone who can help them feel more comfortable, and someone to help with any other health conditions they might have.
Physically, mentally, emotionally, financially — for all these reasons and more, hospice and palliative care might be the right healthcare service for a COPD patient.
If your loved one has COPD or they are living with another serious illness, you can find someone who is ready to help you at Centrica Care Navigators. Visit our website or call us at 269.345.0273.
