There’s a big connection between fatigue and COPD, mainly because of how COPD impacts the body. As a caregiver, it’s important that you understand how COPD causes your elderly family member to interact with the world around her. That gives you what you need to make life a little easier for her.
There’s Tired and There’s Fatigue
Tired is something that can usually be alleviated with rest. Fatigue runs a little deeper than that. It’s more than being just tired. When someone is fatigued, they’re locked in a cycle of increasing tiredness that doesn’t typically get alleviated by sleep or by rest. This makes everything more difficult because that person doesn’t have a lot of extra energy at that point. COPD and fatigue make each other worse.
Depression Might Also Be a Factor
Depression can be a big factor in both fatigue and COPD. Your elderly family member isn’t able to do as many of the things that she used to do, which can cause her to feel depressed. There are also just the physical effects of fatigue and COPD that can contribute to depression. There may not be one particular cause, but the depression definitely has an impact on your senior.
COPD Makes Your Senior’s Body Work Harder
No matter what other health issues your senior is facing, COPD is always going to make her body work harder. That means that even if she’s just sitting on the couch, her body is still working harder than a healthy person’s body is, even doing the normal things like breathing and existing. Little things that might help her to get through the fatigue, like exercise, might be too difficult for her body.
It All Boils Down to Quality of Life
What it really all boils down to is whether your senior is able to still have a certain quality of life. COPD causes her to have to slow down, but she may still be able to have good experiences with her life. Fatigue, depression, and the COPD itself may not help her to have the life that she wants at this stage. Adapting activities and helping her to conserve energy can improve her quality of life.
Talk to your senior’s doctor about what else might help. There may be more that your senior can do than either of you think right now. Investigate the options to determine what other steps you can take.
If you or an aging loved-one are considering hiring Home Health Care in West Bloomfield, MI, or the surrounding area, please contact the caring staff at CareOne Senior Care today. Call us at (248) 308-2777.
