Preventing Hospitalizations - COPD Management

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease that causes obstructed airflow from the lungs. Symptoms include breathing difficulty, cough, mucus (sputum) production, and wheezing. It’s caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases or particulate matter, most often from cigarette smoke.

People with COPD are at increased risk of developing heart disease, lung cancer, and a variety of other ailments. COPD symptoms often don’t appear until significant lung damage has occurred, and they usually worsen over time, particularly if smoking continues.

We can help at Pure Home Healthcare with our specialized COPD Management Program. It allows our Nursing team to establish patient/caregiver specific education and interventions. Skilled nursing phone follow up protocols include identifying escalating COPD symptoms and also provides coordination of care, help improve overall patient outcomes, and reduce hospital readmission. We will also follow any protocol that the patient’s providers put in place to improve the overall continuity of care and assist patients in getting the appropriate treatment.

Signs and symptoms of COPD may include:

• Shortness of breath especially during physical activities.

• Wheezing.

• Chest Tightness.

• Having to clear your throat first thing in the morning due to excess mucus in your lungs.

• A chronic cough that may produce mucus (sputum) that may be clear, white, yellow or greenish.

• Blueness of the lips or fingernail beds (cyanosis).

• Frequent respiratory infections.

• Lethargy.

• Unintended weight loss (in later stages).

• Swelling of ankles more than usual.

Pure Home Health Care has been making strides in keeping our clients from readmission by using our COPD phone call protocol by:

• Assessment of our COPD patients through phone calls on the weekends to ensure they are not having any exacerbation of symptoms.

• Adding additional Skilled Nursing visits, monitoring, and assessing for any increased shortness of breath or wheeze.

• Educating and ensuring that patients are taking their medications correctly and understanding the reasoning for these medications.

• Educating patients to contact Pure Home Health Care with any health-related issues at any time and we will assess and contact the physician if needed.