Treating Those With COPD At Our Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital

Our staff and providers at Indianapolis Rehabilitation Hospital at Carmel have cared for patients recovering from respiratory illnesses including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, also known as chronic bronchitis or emphysema). Often, we help patients needing rehabilitation to learn how to manage themselves in their daily lives on continuous oxygen, while educating their loved ones and caregivers how to offer support once they go home.

Understanding who is at risk and the symptoms for COPD

In the United States, COPD is estimated to affect more than 15 million adults over half of these being women. COPD is a major cause of disability, and it is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In Indiana, an estimated 8.3% of adults reported having a diagnosis of COPD compared to the national prevalence of 6.3%.

COPD is caused by one of two main conditions - emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Emphysema is typically caused by years of smoking and develops when there’s damage to the walls between many of the air sacs in the lungs. In emphysema, it is harder for your lungs to move air out of your body. Preventative measures can be taken to reduce risk of a COPD diagnosis by not smoking. Chronic bronchitis is caused by long-term inflammation in the lining of the airways and thick mucus forming to make it hard to breathe.

Symptoms of COPD may develop slowly over time and include:

• Coughing that produces large amounts of mucus

• Problems breathing and shortness of breath

• Chest tightness

Treating the whole person at our inpatient rehabilitation hospital

Indianapolis Rehabilitation Hospital at Carmel can help you or your loved one with managing COPD and learning ways to live with continuous oxygen if needed. Our therapy teams will support you in building strength and finding ways to function in your daily life and stay more active within your limitations. We have a team that can provide oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, and/or medicines to treat complications. At Indianapolis Rehabilitation Hospital at Carmel, our treatment team will establish a plan of care specific to your needs. Our team provides rehabilitation and recovery services that offer a holistic, integrated, and comprehensive approach to acute, intensive inpatient medical rehabilitation.

Our focus on positive outcome measures

We treat the individual, and focus on your specific anticipated outcomes, tracking your needs, goals, objectives, interventions, and outcomes with consideration of age, the severity of impairments, and chronic health conditions like COPD. All of these factors impact your progress towards your goals of independence, and we discuss your unique situation with our team members daily, working together with you and your support system to achieve maximum results.

For more on our respiratory and other rehabilitation services please visit www.indianapolis-rehabhospital.com/meet-our-team-indianpolis-rehab.

For more on COPD visit - https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/BreatheBetter

Indianapolis Rehabilitation Hospital at Carmel

463.333.9110 | www.indianapolis-rehabhospital.com