November is National COPD Month

The Fall is a good time to re-stock your referral network with disease brochures. Many seniors especially those with compromised lung health will find themselves in your referring physicians’ waiting rooms in the coming winter months. Educate patients about the benefits of choosing Home Health as a care partner for maladies such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The frequency of evaluation and monitoring that home health can provide promotes a higher degree of symptom management and recovery.

COPD is a general term for several progressive lung diseases that include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. COPD patients experience damage to their bronchial sacs from exposure to airborne irritants like tobacco smoke, chemical fumes, and pollution. The damage is cumulative and cannot be reversed, but symptoms can be managed and disease progression can be slowed.

Recognizing COPD can be challenging because the symptoms are common to other conditions and often mistaken for lingering respiratory infections. Some seniors, especially smokers, rationalize that coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath are just part of getting older. Shortness of breath should never be ignored and could indicate a number of serious conditions pertaining to the heart or lungs. Chronic shortness of breath is a very good indication of COPD.

Older adults should be vigilant about their lung health, especially those who smoke or have a family history of lung disease. They should ask for a  spirometry test at their annual wellness exam and seek medical attention for any lingering COPD symptoms.

Common symptoms of COPD include:

  • Persistent shortness of breath

  • Frequent coughing (with and without mucus)

  • Wheezing

  • Chest tightness

  • Recurring respiratory infections

  • Intolerance to exercise

Here are some ideas to raise lung health awareness in your community:

Volunteer to lead a COPD support group in your community. Introducing your services to your neighbors will allow them to better understand the options available through all types of home care agencies.

Distribute informative brochures to your local senior centers that list the symptoms, causes and risk factors for COPD, as well as the pulmonary rehabilitation services your agency provides.

Provide your referral network with informative material on effective smoking cessation strategies. Be sure to include your agency’s many COPD-related home health services.

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World Lung Cancer Day is right around the corner…

August 1st is World Lung Cancer Day … Share your expertise in patient care as you promote lung health.  As health care providers, you undoubtedly understand the close relationship between COPD and lung cancer, but most people don’t realize the close association. COPD and lung cancer share similar symptoms like a persistent cough, shortness of breath, chronic bronchitis, or repeated episodes of pneumonia. The cross-over in symptoms between chronic lung disorders and lung cancer can contribute to the cancer going undetected until it is in an advanced stage.

This is where you come in: The frequency of home health assessment provides COPD patients with an added level of monitoring.  With these consistent evaluations home health nurses can recognize symptom changes that might indicate the presence of lung cancer.

Symptoms of lung cancer: Fatigue • Loss of appetite • Unexplained weight loss • Chest pain unrelated to coughing • Hoarseness • Coughing up blood

Here are some ideas to raise lung health awareness in your community:

  • Volunteer to lead a COPD support group in your community. Connecting your home care services with these groups will allow them to better understand the options available through all types of home care services.
  • Distribute to your community informative brochures that list the symptoms, causes and risk factors for COPD, as well as the services your agency provides.
  • Sponsor a Lunch and Learn at a local respiratory therapist’s office and introduce your agency’s services.
  • Provide your referral network with informative material on effective smoking cessation options. Be sure to include your agency’s many COPD-related home health services.
  • Arrange to visit local schools to provide information on lung health:
  1. DON’T Smoke!
  2. Exercise to breathe harder. When you exercise your heart beats faster and your lungs work harder which increases lung efficiency and strength.
  3. Avoid exposure to pollutants such as second-hand smoke, air pollution, and automobile exhaust, and have your home tested for radon.
  4. Stay healthy to avoid infection by washing your hands, avoiding crowds during cold & flu season, taking the flu vaccine annually, and asking your doctor if the pneumonia vaccine is right for you.
  5. Practice deep breathing exercises to increase lung capacity and function.

Visit www.tagwebstore for all your Home Health and Hospice Communication Essentials