How Does COPD Change Your Senior’s Ability to Sleep?
COPD is a progressive lung disease that affects every area of your senior’s life.
One issue that your senior might not have expected is that COPD can change how she sleeps. This can happen for a variety of reasons and in multiple ways. There are solutions, but she might need to work with her doctor and other providers to help her to find the right ones for her situation.
Elder Care in Media PA: COPD Changing Your Senior’s Ability to Sleep
Some Medications Help with Breathing but Affect Sleep
Medications for COPD are designed to open up airways and make breathing easier. But some people find that ingredients in those medications work as stimulants. If taken too late in the day, they can make it tougher to get to sleep. Other medications with different ingredients can help with breathing and allow your senior to get better sleep, but it might take some experimenting to find them.
Breathing Anxiety Can Keep Your Senior Awake
One of the problems with COPD is that breathing is more difficult and anxiety about those breathing difficulties ultimately makes breathing tough as well. That anxiety builds and can keep your senior from sleeping well or even at all. The fear that she might stop breathing while she’s asleep can be overwhelming for your senior, which creates a difficult environment for sleep.
She May Find Some Positions Uncomfortable Now
Some sleeping positions may be painful or uncomfortable for your senior with COPD. Sleeping on her side might be best in terms of ability to breathe and overall comfort, but that could be a new sleeping position for her. If she’s always been a back sleeper, your elderly family member may have a tough time adjusting to sleeping on her side. Using pillows or blankets to prop her can help.
Her Doctor May Have Some Answers
If your elderly family member is having a tough time sleeping, her doctor may have some advice for her. Exercising, changing medications, or making other adjustments may be part of the new plan. Pulmonary rehabilitation may be another option for your senior. This is a type of therapy where your senior learns more about specific techniques that can help her to manage her COPD.
Conserving her energy in some areas can make a difference for your senior when she’s trying to do something like improving her sleep habits. Elderly care providers can do a lot to help your senior with this and with other tasks, too.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Elder Care in Media, PA, please contact the friendly staff at Suma Home Care.
Call today: (484) 206-4544
Ibrahim recently completed a Professional Certificate in Management; He is currently pursuing a Masters in Business Administrations (MBA) at a prestigious university in the UK.
With their passion for helping others and a strong background in customer services and clinical care, Ibrahim and his wife started assisting individuals in their homes.
Since started and operating Suma Home Care in 2010 in the basement of their home, Suma Home Care has provided professionals who work endlessly in providing clients with the highest quality of care, while enabling clients to maintain dignity, comfort and safety in their homes.
Suma Home Care, serves four counties in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery and Philadelphia. Ibrahim is firmly connected to his local community and is always looking for ways to give back whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Ibrahim enjoys spending time with his wife and children, travelling and enjoys sports.
Mariama Suma-Keita BSN RN
Born in Sierra Leone west Africa, relocated to America in 1999 from a civil war and settled since in the U.S.A as a Naturalized citizen Graduated from National school of nursing with an associate , and completed BSN in Nursing from Immaculata University graduated with Honor roll Alpha Lambda sigma, After escaping the war served as a refugee nurse in Gambia and Guinea to other displaced refugees before coming to America.
In the states started in Homecare then then transition into hospital, worked in Jefferson hospital as a Registered nurse on Tele and general medsurg floor, also worked in Einstein hospital as an oncology transplant nurse , I realized that I enjoy working with patients so much and believe in quality and compassionate care one at a time dealing with an holistic approach in caring for patients and family in a familiar environment called home , I see the impact and progress when they’re home , it makes them feel relax and progress fast with recovering at home. As a nurse and entrepreneur I understand that dedication to meeting people and families needs is a priority, and able to foster relationships with family and patients that is professional and friendly to help them stay and settled home as a desire.
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