No matter your age, it’s never too soon or too late to help your lungs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 39 percent of lower respiratory disease cases are preventable. What this means is that any little thing you can do to raise awareness will have a lasting impact on not only your own life but the lives of everyone around you.
When looking for the right assisted living community for your loved one with respiratory conditions, you have to look into how the community can accommodate their needs. Below are some of the things to consider when looking for the right retirement community for your loved one.
Diet
Unbelievably, your loved one’s diet has a significant influence on the health of their respiratory system. Every time they breathe, carbon dioxide is expelled from the lungs, and oxygen is supplied to the blood. Their diet has an effect on how quickly this process happens.
Healthy fat-rich meals will make it simpler for many persons with COPD or asthma to breathe. Additionally, people with chronic respiratory diseases require a wide range of additional nutrients in order to remain healthy. In light of this, you should look for an assisted living community that can handle this. Make sure they can make changes to the food plan, if they have one, that will help you stay healthy.
Professional Care
Any knowledge you may get about controlling chronic respiratory illness would be beneficial. Patients with COPD and asthma must arrange routine doctor visits and frequently need help utilizing medical oxygen or giving themselves medicines. The majority of individuals will require some kind of specialist to assist care for them, even if the quality of care will vary from patient to patient.
The community’s location is something else to take into account. You need to be near enough to your doctor to make weekly or monthly checkups convenient, even if you want to live in a more rural region to prevent pollution. Many assisted living communities also provide transportation services to assist residents in attending events or carrying out everyday activities.
The Environment
The quality of life of your aging loved one will be significantly impacted by the living conditions there. Living in a stifling, unclean, or toxic environment will make their respiratory problems worse and make them feel sleepy and nervous. A clean, pleasant environment will make it much easier for them to manage their illness.
Finding a retirement community that isn’t in a busy or congested region should be your top priority. Urban environments are generally louder and more polluting than rural ones, which can be unsettling. Instead, look for a neighborhood free of these pointless irritants. The first place to search should be in calm, tranquil areas.
Seasonal allergies are another factor to think about. For those who have a chronic lung ailment, pollen poses a serious threat since it can irritate the lungs and airways, increase mucus production, and make breathing difficult. Even if it’s pleasant to live in a region where there are many trees and plants, you should take the time to think about the kinds of plants in the community and whether or not pollination is required.
Cleanliness
Many people are unaware that the air they breathe inside their homes may frequently be as toxic as the air outside, if not more so. Finding a community that is dedicated to cleanliness and being aware of the possible negative impact a dirty atmosphere might have on your respiratory health is thus important. Ask about their housekeeping services when you next visit an assisted care community. Ask them how often they maintain their HVAC systems and if they clean every day.
Fitness and Exercise
Treatment regimens for disorders including COPD, cystic fibrosis, and other respiratory ailments sometimes include pulmonary rehabilitation. This is one of the senior living programs intended to help you learn more about your loved one’s condition and workout methods that will improve lung function and make breathing easier for you.
On the other side, you shouldn’t pick an assisted living community that might lead to you exerting yourself excessively. Activity is necessary for patients with chronic respiratory diseases, but too much exercise might be hazardous. You could want extra amenities to aid in getting around, depending on your age and the seriousness of your ailment. To find out more about this, make sure to speak with the community management beforehand.
