Is Hospice Care Good for COPD Patients?
Is Hospice Care Good for COPD Patients?
End-stage COPD can be a difficult condition for patients and their families to deal with. COPD stands for “chronic obstructive pulmonary disease” and results in patients having a variety of breathing problems.
Thankfully, hospice care can be useful in helping patients deal with their COPD in their end-of-life stage.
Below, we’ll cover some of the ways hospice care can help and the various ways in which it approaches treatment.
Preparation for the Future
First of all, hospice care can help patients make plans for the future. The hospice team will use medical expertise and the patient’s desires to make emergency plans for when breathing stops.
The team will also help the patient and their family with all the various legal documents involved with the end-of-life stage. This includes the power of attorney, various medical documents, and the living will, among others.
COPD Treatment in Hospice
Treatment will be based on an assessment of the patient’s individual situation and needs.
The treatments will be based on pain management, using such methods as medications and various therapies. Equipment, such as oxygen, will also likely be utilized during treatment.
Hospice care also provides 24/7 support for its patients, so there’s always someone around in case of emergency. These hospice workers may help move the patient into more comfortable positions for breathing, help them get whatever they need, or simply be good company when the patient needs it.
In addition to pain management, the team will also attempt to make the patient’s life as easy as possible by way of helping them dress, eat, and wash.
In some cases, social workers or chaplains are available to provide the patient with spiritual and emotional support during their illness.
COPD Eligibility for Hospice Care
Hospice care is for patients who are terminally ill—with usually about six months to live—and need assistance in making the end of their life as comfortable as possible. While COPD isn’t always terminal, a patient’s doctor may decide that the patient should receive hospice care regardless.
For eligibility, a doctor may make look at symptoms such as debilitating breathing issues, frequent hospitalizations, low oxygen levels in the blood, or other COPD-related impairments. In some cases, heart failure may even be a result of COPD.
Hospice Care Can be Beneficial to COPD Patients
COPD is a serious illness and while it may not always be terminal, hospice care can be greatly beneficial in increasing a COPD patient’s quality of life.
Once a patient is deemed eligible by a doctor, they can enter hospice care, where they’ll receive constant attention and individualized treatments.
It won’t be a cure for their illness, but it will be an environment with the sole purpose of offering patients comfort and peace.
Are you considering hospice care for your loved one? Reach out to Divinity Hospice online or by phone (281-339-7079). We’ll give your loved one the respect, attention, and personalized care they deserve