People with respiratory disease lose sleep, miss work and school, and limit their activities. Now, hundreds of pulmonary patients are breathing easier because of a six-pronged approach at Silver Cross Hospital. The eight-week program improves the patient's quality of life through respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, exercise planning, nutrition counseling, stress management, and pharmaceutical advice. A physician's referral is required to attend the program. A free Pulmonary Support Group for adults with asthma, COPD, chronic bronchitis or other respiratory diseases meets monthly at Silver Cross Hospital.
Special speakers discuss the disease, treatment options and lifestyle changes.
There is also time for mutual support and socializing. The Asthma Clinic for Children and Their Families helps children and parents cope with the disease through multi-sessions with a variety of speakers, such as a pediatric allergist, a respiratory therapist, a pharmacist and a nurse. The clinic offers a general overview of asthma and the breathing process, treatment, and medications, as well as correct use of an inhaler and peak flow meter. To help children and their parents deal with the disease, the hospital offers Asthma 101, a free 45-minute program for school personnel to provide a basic understanding of the disease. School personnel learn how to respond to an asthma episode, what to do when a child experiences difficulty breathing.