Living Better Together COPD Week

This new resource provides people living with COPD, their caregivers, and family a quick reference guide to COPD. Within it you will find useful information about COPD, how to manage the disease, and tips for living better with COPD. While we hope this information is helpful, it is not meant to take the place of medical advice. Please be sure to contact your doctor or healthcare team before starting or adding any new activities listed in this packet to your care plan. Remember to share this packet with your caregiver so you can both live better with COPD!

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and affects millions of people. Our goal is to empower people living with COPD, their families, and caregivers to be their own disease self-managers. We hope that you find something useful that helps ease the burden of COPD!

Leading experts in COPD  present on a variety of topics for people living with COPD, their caregivers, and families. You can view the video series below!

Pulmonary Rehab at Home

Join Gail Harris for a quick exercise routine you can do from home. You can expect a warm-up, strength training, chair exercises, and a guided meditation at the end of the session. Gail is a registered respiratory therapist and a certified pulmonary function technician at The John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County in Chicago, IL. She has worked in respiratory health for over 30 years. Gail has helped develop three other pulmonary rehab programs and has her own exercise video, “Exercise for Couch Potatoes.”

Thank you to Integrated Respiratory Solutions for sponsoring this video.

Self-care for Caregivers

Dr. Harvey Wolf speaks about the importance of caring for COPD caregivers and how caregivers can practice self-care. Dr. Wolf is a licensed clinical health psychologist at Northwest Community Hospital. For over thirty years his practice has focused on the care of individuals, families, and healthcare workers living with chronic illnesses like COPD.

COPD and Sleep – What You Need to Know

Dr. James Herdegen covers the relationship between COPD and sleep, provides a sleep disorders overview, and also shares tips for better sleeping. Dr. Herdegen is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Director of Sleep Disorders Service and Research at Rush University Medical Center.

Dr. Khalilah Gates, a practicing pulmonologist from Northwestern University, shares her experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and how it has affected people living with COPD. She also talks about what we have learned about the relationship between COPD and COVID-19, the best prevention tips, and what you need to know about the vaccine and boosters.

Watch the video now

Did you have a chance to see our Living Better Together Webinar series? These videos address important topics and updates for people living with COPD and their caregivers.

Supplemental Oxygen at Home
Dr. Jerry Krishnan discusses what supplemental oxygen is, the benefits of using supplemental oxygen, and how to know when it’s time to start or stop using home oxygen.

Current COPD Medications
Managing symptoms and slowing down any damage to lungs is important since there is currently no cure for COPD. In this webinar, we discuss the different types of COPD medications and answer questions.

COPD and Common Comorbidities
Comorbidities, or having more than one condition at the same time, can occur in patients with mild, moderate, or severe COPD. In this webinar, Dr. Paul Reyfman discussed some of the most common conditions that can develop for people living with COPD and the impact they may have.

You can help shape our Living Better Together COPD Conference by joining the Planning Committee. The group meets by phone to provide ideas and input to the RHA staff members. Contact Avanthi Chatrathi, Program Coordinator, via email at [email protected] to learn more.

Thank you to all who attended the 2019 Living Better Together COPD Conference. View photos from the 2019 event on our Flickr. You can also look back at last year’s events with the information and links below.