How can I help my mum?

Cooklet, I am really sorry to hear about your Mum. It will be a lot to do with depression + also the COPD. Difficult situation. I am wondering whether you could visit your Mum's GP to voice your worries. If she is reluctant to leave the house, it might be an idea if he could do a house visit, with her consent. You could also contact the BLF nurse. I will have to look for the tel.no. or maybe someone will. I think your Mum will need further treatment and tests for the COPD but she needs counselling for her anxiety. I do hope that you get help and your mum improves - they are precious.

Your mum should really have a consultant see her, there are tests to complete a GP just cannot do. Please ask for her to be referred.

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Hi Cooklet, you have had some good advise. It is easy to slip into not going out, I have been there. Have a talk with your Doctor. My Son organised things I just couldn't wriggle out off. Did the trick. Nothing major just little things.

Depression/anxiety are big enemies of copd sufferers. The fear of a breathless attack while you are outside the safety zone of your own home are very real, so going out can be almost terrifying. Her GP can give her pills that help control the anxiety.

Just a thought, does she have to go up steps or something similar to get back into her home? something as simple as this can really play on the mind, and even before you go out you are almost panicking about getting back into the house. See if you can get her to tell you what it is that worries her so much , you might be able to take away some of the fears. Stupid things can cause it and simple solutions can cure it.

It does sound like a doctors needs to reassess her. In three years things change and a better inhaler may be available. Phone and speak to the specialist nurse at your GP practice, they are normally very knowledgeable and sympathetic so it's a good place to start.

Thanks everyone for your responses. My mum has seen the COPD nurse and a physio fairly regularly at home since the diagnosis. My mum is terrified of and refuses to go to hospital, and this is the reason she is so reluctant to see the GP- she is convinced they will hospitalise her. I'm starting to wonder whether she is lying to me, she tells me the only other treatment is long term antibiotics and that they are reluctant to put people on them.

Good advice on here again. Perhaps you could organise the odd trip out for lunch or shopping etc just to break the circle of Too puffed to do anything and getting unfit sitting about which makes you get puffed out when you do anything!

Also find out if there is a Breathe Easy Group in your area where she can meet people with the same problems as her....

Very best wishes in what you are doing for Mum x

Hi cooklet, welcome . Understand your concerns about your mum. Some of the pulmonary rehab groups supply transport for people like your mum but she needs doctor referral for that. You can attend local breathe easy groups with your mum if she is concerned about going alone or you can go to get help and advice. After such a long time it may be hard to change your mums lifestyle. I recall my late father -in - law becoming house bound after a fall because he feared ending up in an embarrassing position when out on his own. They used to take him to a day center twice a week more for our benefit than his sad to say. Good luck in your efforts to help improve your Mum's social life.

Hi Cooklet I know a little of how your Mom maybe feeling, I don't like going to places I don't know in case there are many stairs, Christmas day at my sons I really struggled with the stairs, a full stomach and sented candles, x

My mom had COPD and loved to go out but does your mom think the inhalers don't work and it's this that stops her going out, it can take time to get to grips with inhalers I hope all goes well and your mom goes on ok