NOVEMBER IS CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) AWARENESS MONTH

Chris Huber, Versailles Health Care Center LPN/Case Manager,
Dr. Donald Pohlman, MD, Versailles Health Care Center Medical Director;
and Kurt Labig, RRT, Wayne HealthCare Respiratory Care Supervisor.

This November, people nationwide will recognize November as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Month. Versailles Health Care Center, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center, is the leader working hard to make a difference on a local level.

“We are unique at Versailles Health Care Center in that we partner with the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Specialists from Wayne HealthCare to provide high level pulmonary services to the patients of our community. We are the leading Health Care Pulmonary Care Team in the community,” said Kristy Earick, Administrator of Versailles Health Care Center. Wayne HealthCare Respiratory Therapists are: on-site weekly at VHCC; work in conjunction with VHCC staff to educate and assess patients for respiratory care; and are available to act as a resource for questions concerning respiratory care at VHCC. Versailles Health Care Center’s nursing staff is certified in COPD Advanced Assessment Program as well to compliment the Wayne HealthCare partnership.

COPD affects the elasticity of your lungs making it very difficult to breathe. Blocked (obstructed) airways make it hard to get air in and out. COPD is the 4th leading cause of death and kills more than 120,000 people per year. COPD is the 2nd leading cause of disability. Twelve million plus people have COPD and another 12 million may have it but don’t know it.

COPD symptoms include: cough, excessive mucus production, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, wheezing, tightness in the chest, fatigue, cyanosis, and hemoptysis. People with COPD avoid activities that they used to do more easily. COPD patients limit activity to accommodate shortness of breath and other symptoms. Some of those activities include: take elevator instead of stairs, park close by instead of walking, avoid shopping or other similar day-to-day tasks, and stay home rather than go out with friends.

Smoking is the most common cause of COPD; however, as many as 1/6 people with COPD have never smoked. Risks are environmental exposure, including chemicals, dusts, fumes, secondhand smoke, and pollutants, and a genetic factor, Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency.
A simple breathing test, spirometry, which is quick and noninvasive, can tell a person if he/she has COPD and how severe it is. Treatments can help COPD. Of course, it is important to quit smoking and it’s never too late (www.smokefree.gov). Other treatments are medications, pulmonary rehabilitation, physical activity training, oxygen treatment, and surgery.

COPD resources available include: www.LearnAboutCOPD.org or NHLBI Health Information Center, P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105, phone: 301-592-8573, TTY: 240-629-3255, fax: 301-592-8563, email: NHLBIinfo@nhlbi.nih.gov; website: www.nhlbi.nih.gov. For more information about the Wayne HealthCare Lifestyle Enhancement Center (LEC), which includes pulmonary rehabilitation, cardiac rehabilitation, healing hearts clinic and tobacco cessation programs, call 937-547-5917. For more information about Versailles Health Care Center’s therapy and nursing programs, call 937-526-5570.