Five Ways Seniors with COPD Can Breathe Easier at Home

By Care Street Home Care Staff | November 10, 2023 | Comments Off on Five Ways Seniors with COPD Can Breathe Easier at Home
Senior Home Care in Edison NJ

Senior Home Care in Edison NJ

Managing COPD is something that seniors need to do if they want to slow down the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and protect their quality of life. There are several very simple changes that seniors can implement, and these changes are easier with the help of support from senior home care providers.

Reduce Exposure to Chemicals and Indoor Smoking

There are a lot more chemicals indoors than most people realize. These chemicals, like cleaning products, can be very harsh for seniors with COPD to breathe. Limiting the use of household chemicals is a good idea. Home care providers can use natural cleaning products, for instance, to help reduce chemical exposure for seniors. Improving ventilation also helps, either by opening windows or by using exhaust fans when cooking or cleaning.

Minimize Dust Inside

Dust is a huge irritant for people who are allergic to it, but for people with COPD, dust can cause serious health complications. Minimizing dust helps the senior’s home to be cleaner overall, but also improves air quality. This means dusting regularly, washing bedding and curtains regularly, and vacuuming or sweeping often. Seniors with COPD may not have the energy to keep up with all of this, so senior home care providers can be instrumental in managing dust.

Keep Floors and Carpets Clean

It really can’t be emphasized enough to keep floors and carpets as clean as possible as often as possible. But some seniors might need to take it a step further and choose different types of flooring. Older carpet, for instance, might be full of a lot of allergens that are impossible to remove with cleaning alone. Making a switch to hard floor options makes it easier to remove a lot of that dust and dirt that can cause exacerbations for seniors with COPD.

Use Air Purifiers and Humidifiers

Another way to improve indoor air quality is for seniors with COPD to use air purifiers and humidifiers. These devices help to reduce particulates in the air and maintain proper humidity levels. There are even combination devices that can do the job of both individual devices. These devices are best for rooms where seniors spend a lot of time, like bedrooms and main living areas.

Get Help with Daily Tasks

Senior home care providers make a huge difference for aging adults with COPD. They can help to manage medication reminders, prepare meals, offer personal care assistance, and so much more. This relieves a lot of the stress that seniors with COPD experience because life is more complicated. Seniors with COPD need to rest a lot more than other people do because of the difficulty they experience with breathing. Having this extra help can allow them to continue to engage in their daily lives because they have the energy to do so.

Seniors with COPD absolutely need to have a comfortable and healthy home environment in order to remain healthy. Senior home care providers make activities of daily living easier and can help aging adults to stay on top of what they need to do in order to feel their best.

If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Edison, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.

Care Street Home Care Staff
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