HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
Advanced COPD
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) can often be managed for many years using modern therapies. But if you have complications or your lungs are getting worse, the treatments may be less effective. You may develop symptoms that do not disappear so quickly with treatment and start to affect your day-to-day life.
Some of the things you may notice include:
- needing more help with personal care such as getting dressed and preparing meals
- spending more time in a chair and being unable to walk far
- having more admissions to hospital or general practice visits
- losing weight, feeling sick and not feeling hungry
- getting short of breath while doing very little, despite medication
- being tired
- feeling more anxious and worried about your future.
If you have these symptoms, your COPD may be becoming more advanced. Speak to your general practice team or specialist if you're worried or unsure.
Sometimes when COPD becomes more advanced, you cannot get any better. Then your treatment plan might focus on giving you a good quality of life rather than saving your life at all costs. Some treatments may become less important, and others may be added to help control your symptoms.
Talking about what comes next
It's helpful to have a discussion with your whānau (family) about what is important to you, especially your future care needs. Things to consider include:
- where you want to be cared for when you're less well
- what is most important to you now
- what treatments you'll accept at this time of life, including resuscitation
- making a will and appointing an enduring power of attorney.
An advance care plan is a really helpful way to document all of these discussions. It's a plan that gives you a voice when you cannot communicate, and it tells your family what you want to happen.
Getting extra help
Other community support is available. This may include:
- equipment to make doing everyday things easier, such as chair raisers and shower stools
- carer support arranged through your general practice team. This may include temporary respite care in a residential care facility to give your carer a break, or arranging a regular sitter so your carer can do other activities for a few hours each week
- needs assessment if you want respite or are thinking about moving into residential care
- counselling through your general practice
- funding through your general practice team or through having a community services card to help with the cost of general practice visits. Talk to your general practice team about this
- referral to Palliative Care services for additional support and help with symptoms.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Te Whatu Ora Waitaha
- Management of breathlessness
Information about managing breathlessness.
- Deciding about CPR (resuscitation)
Information for patients, whānau and family about deciding whether to be resuscitated.
- Management of breathlessness
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created June 2023.
Sources
Review key: HICOP-16602
