Respiratory problems like asthma and COPD take a lot out of your senior. These tips can help her to have the quality of life that she wants to have every day.
Medications Are Crucial
There are a variety of medications that your senior’s doctor might prescribe for her, even with respiratory illnesses. Some may help her to stay calm when she’s short of breath while other medications may help to keep her airways open so that she experiences shortness of breathless frequently. It’s always important that your senior take any prescribed medications the way her doctor directs for the best results.
Diet Really Matters
What your senior eats makes a huge difference in not just her overall health, but also her respiratory health. She needs the right fuel to keep her going. Breathing requires a great deal of energy, and the more your senior’s body has to struggle to draw in air, the more calories she’s burning. That can be even more detrimental if she’s eating a lot of processed foods or foods with empty calories. Take a thorough look at what she’s eating and how often, because you may need to revamp her diet.
Oxygen May Be Necessary
So many people who are prescribed oxygen take this as a bad sign. Your senior might see it as a failure on her part or as a sign that she’s done something wrong in managing her health. In reality, oxygen therapy is just another treatment. If she can think of it in those terms, it might be easier for your elderly family member to rely on oxygen therapy when she needs it. Talk to her doctor about the details involved in your senior’s oxygen therapy and what it can do for her.
Devise Plans for Conserving Energy
Conservation of energy is vital when it comes to helping a senior with respiratory issues to get through her day. When daily tasks cost her immensely in terms of energy, it’s going to take your senior longer to do even simple things. Adding complicated tasks, like cooking, cleaning up, or doing laundry, might mean that she’s constantly exhausted. Senior care providers can help her to have those necessary tasks completed while using the energy she has for the activities she truly needs and wants to do on her own.
Finally, make sure that your senior is keeping up with her doctor’s appointments. Those follow-up visits might seem like they’re something that can be ignored or even skipped, but when it comes to respiratory health, changes can happen really quickly.
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