Bonita Springs Florida Weekly

Hope Healthcare offers guide for advanced lung care patients, caregivers


 

 

Hope Healthcare has released a new guide that may improve the quality of life for people living with advanced lung disease. Produced in collaboration with the National Partnership for Healthcare and Hospice Innovation and the American Lung Association, the “Advanced Lung Care Patient and Caregiver Guide” is a helpful resource available to families at no cost.

The publication contains the collective input of more than 90 advanced illness and hospice care organizations, including tips for symptom management, self-care, medications, diet and advance care planning. It serves as a valuable resource for people experiencing severe symptoms from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis, emphysema, asthma, cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis, pulmonary hypertension or lung cancer.

“An important part of living with chronic lung disease is finding the right support, both for the patient and the caregivers,” said Deb Brown, chief mission officer for the American Lung Association. “Whether you have COPD, lung cancer, interstitial lung disease or another type of chronic lung disease, this guide will help you learn new home care strategies to manage symptoms.”

Lung disease often represents an outsized burden on strained healthcare systems. In 2016, there were more than 2 million emergency department visits and more than 650,000 hospitalizations related to COPD alone. Using the best practices outlined in Hope’s guide, patients may be able to manage some respiratory symptoms, reduce or prevent unnecessary medical visits and continue to receive comforting support at home.

“It’s easy to take every breath for granted, unless you have advanced lung disease,” said Samira K. Beckwith, president and CEO for Hope Healthcare. “Every person coping with these difficult symptoms deserves our utmost compassion and, when appropriate, our comforting care.”

The guide is available for download online at www.HopeHCS.org/ Guides.

With more than 40 years of experience as a local, not-for-profit healthcare organization, Hope Healthcare is dedicated to providing care and comfort for people in life’s closing chapter. A compassionate team of staff and volunteers offers practical, spiritual, and emotional support for the entire family. For more information about Hope Healthcare, visit www.HopeHCS.org. ¦

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *