How Does Home Health Care Support Seniors with End-stage COPD?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD, is a serious and progressive lung disease. That means it worsens gradually over time, causing increased symptoms and difficulty with daily life. There is also no cure for COPD. When seniors with COPD reach the later stages of the disease, they tend to face some very difficult challenges. COPD patients experience frequent exacerbations, reduced mobility, increased breathlessness, and other issues. Home health care services offer a lot of support for aging adults with COPD.

Home Health Care Morris Count NJ - How Does Home Health Care Support Seniors with End-stage COPD?

Home Health Care Morris Count NJ – How Does Home Health Care Support Seniors with End-stage COPD?

Coordination of Care

Navigating end-stage COPD often means that seniors are dealing with a variety of different healthcare providers, therapists, and other specialists. It can be overwhelming. Home health care can help them to keep all of this straight and coordinate care. They can help to make sure that treatment plans all work together for the best results possible.

Respiratory Therapy

Seniors with COPD often need respiratory therapy to breathe more comfortably and manage other symptoms. Respiratory therapy starts with assessing lung function and then using breathing exercises and other techniques to help COPD patients improve lung capacity and reduce breathing problems.

Medication Management

COPD patients often take a variety of different types of medications, including inhalers or nebulized medications, to control COPD symptoms and other health issues. Home health care providers can help seniors with COPD to take their medications properly and when they should. They can also stay alert for side effects and other issues that make medications less effective.

Oxygen Treatments

Oxygen therapies are another form of treatment that end-stage COPD patients often need. Oxygen therapy helps to maintain optimal oxygen levels in the blood, which is difficult with COPD. Home health care providers can help seniors with oxygen therapy, including setting up oxygen equipment properly, monitoring oxygen saturation levels, and offering other support.

Symptom Management

End-stage COPD can bring with it a variety of symptoms that are upsetting and exhausting. Chronic coughing, wheezing, fatigue, and chest pain are all possible symptoms seniors with end-stage COPD experience. Home care providers can help seniors with COPD to use techniques that help them to manage those symptoms effectively.

Assistance with ADLs

Daily life is more complicated for people with end-stage COPD. Taking care of light household tasks, meal preparation, laundry, and even personal care tasks are all much more demanding of energy and oxygen than people realize. Home care services can help seniors manage these tasks while conserving as much of their energy as they can.

Emotional Support

Life with end-stage COPD can be depressing and emotionally challenging for COPD patients and their family caregivers. Home health care providers understand how COPD affects patients on an emotional level and can offer the emotional support they need. They also offer companionship, which can be difficult for seniors with COPD to keep up with in other ways.

Home health care can address a variety of concerns that seniors with end-stage COPD face. Beyond managing symptoms and healthcare needs, they can also help seniors feel heard while they’re dealing with such a complicated illness.

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Health Care Services in Morris County NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today.

Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris, and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.




Facts About What Home Health Care Can Do

November’s National Home Care Month is a time to honor all home care aides, caregivers, and home health care nurses in your dad’s life. It’s a challenging, rewarding job with the sole purpose of helping your parent remain independent at home.

Have you ever thought about what a home health care nurse does in your community? Here are five things you may not realize about home health care services.

Home Health Care Morris County NJ - Facts About What Home Health Care Can Do

Home Health Care Morris County NJ – Facts About What Home Health Care Can Do

The History of Home Health Care Nurses Goes Back to Florence Nightingale

In the mid-1800’s, businessman William Rathbone and nurse Florence Nightingale established a school for nurses. These nurses were trained to go to the homes of the sick and impoverished to offer nursing care. It would take until the 1880’s for this trend to catch on in the U.S., but it wasn’t until the 1960’s that it became well known.

They Can Teach the Family How to Provide Diabetes Care

Suppose your dad has diabetes and needs insulin injections. He’s struggling with that and his diet. He can have home health care services that teach the entire family how to prepare healthy meals for him. The nurse that comes to your dad’s home can teach him how to give himself an injection and test his glucose levels.

They Help With Wound Care

Your dad had surgery or pressure sores and needs the wounds cleaned, bandaged, and checked for infection. That’s beyond your skillset, but your dad cannot do this on his own. Instead of struggling, hire a home health care nurse to clean and dress wounds.

Nurses know what to look for when it comes to proper healing versus infection. They can talk to doctors if there are problems.

They Coordinate Care With You and the Doctors

When your dad has home health care services, his home health care nurses work with his doctors and designated family members. By coordinating care, everyone is updated regarding your dad’s progress as he heals from surgery, major illness, or bone fracture.

They Can Administer IVs and Injections

You’ve been bringing your dad to the doctor’s office for blood draws to check his iron levels. Instead of making all of those trips, he can have a home health care nurse draw his blood at home and ensure it gets to the lab.

If your dad needs IV antibiotics, he can have the IV line inserted at home rather than having to go to a hospital or health clinic. If he needs steroid injections for his severe arthritis pain, nurses can administer those following the doctor’s orders.

Talk to your dad’s doctor. Once you know what services he needs at home, call our home health care agency to schedule services.

Sources: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1463031/

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Health Care Services in Morris County NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.




Arthritis and Elderly Adults: What Do You Need to Know?

There are many people that believe arthritis is just one condition. The truth is that arthritis includes many different conditions of the joints. Each one of these conditions will have different causes and various side effects. Research shows that there are over 100 kinds of arthritis. However, the most commonly seen types of rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, osteoarthritis, and fibromyalgia.

Home Health Care Morris County NJ - Arthritis and Elderly Adults: What Do You Need to Know?

Home Health Care Morris County NJ – Arthritis and Elderly Adults: What Do You Need to Know?

Most of the people who have arthritis are 65 years and older. There are millions of people who suffer from some form of arthritis every single year. If your elderly loved one is dealing with undiagnosed pain in their joints on in other areas of their body, they could have some type of arthritis. Learning more about the various types of arthritis can help you to get your elderly loved one the treatment that they need.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis or RA is one of the most common kinds of arthritis. Professionals don’t quite know what causes RA. With this being said, research does show that hormones and genes are the main reasons for the onset of rheumatoid arthritis. When someone’s immune system functions are off, it starts to attack the lining in joints. Instead of keeping someone safe from bacteria and viruses, the person’s immune system is overactive and will cause healthy joints to become damaged. This can lead to severe inflammation in the joints and slight inflammation in other parts of the body, as well.

The main people who have RA are 50 and older. However, people of any age can get this condition, even children. If your elderly loved one is experiencing pain in their fingers, wrists, and hands, have their home health care provider take them to the doctor to get checked out for a possible RA diagnosis.

Osteoarthritis

Research shows that another one of the most common types of arthritis is osteoarthritis. Senior citizens are the age group that is most affected by this condition. The majority of people who have this condition are 65 years and older. This condition will disintegrate joints from the inside. Most of the time it happens due to older age. Overuse of joints, injuries, and being overweight can also cause this condition. If your elderly loved one is experiencing pain in their hips, knees, lower back, hands, and/or neck, they may have osteoarthritis. You can have them see their doctor for a possible diagnosis.

Psoriatic Arthritis

The majority of people who get psoriasis (a condition of the skin that will cause a scaly and itchy rash) will also have psoriatic arthritis or PsA. Research shows that millions of patients who have psoriasis will also have PsA. This is another kind of autoimmune system arthritis. The immune system will attack the person’s healthy joints and tissues. There are 5 types of PsA including asymmetric, symmetric, distal, arthritis mutilans, and spondylitis. If your elderly loved one experience pain and or stiffness in their spine and/or neck, they may have this condition.

There are different treatments that can help people to manage and deal with the various types of arthritis. If your elderly loved one is experiencing any of the symptoms above, have them see their doctor for a potential diagnosis.

Sources:  https://www.healthline.com/health/arthritis-types
https://www.rheumatology.org/I-Am-A/Patient-Caregiver/Diseases-Conditions/Rheumatoid-Arthritis
https://www.everydayhealth.com/arthritis/index.aspx
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4206220/

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring professional Home Health Care Services in Morris County NJ, please talk to the caring staff at Generations Home Health Care today. Providing Home Care in Somerset, Essex, Union, Morris and Hunterdon Counties. Call us today at (908) 290-0691 or (973) 241-4534.