Resources help LGH staff and patients breathe a little easier
Staff at Lions Gate Hospital have a lot of great resources – both in and out of LGH – available for their patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
“COPD is a serious health condition that causes progressive, chronic airflow limitation, making it really hard to breath,” explains Ann Sarte, team leader for North Shore Chronic Disease Services. “We want staff to know that there’s a lot of support for their clients with this debilitating disease.”
The process
When someone with COPD is admitted to LGH they receive education from Respiratory Nurse Clinician Eve Dedinsky. Eve or other clinicians can then refer a client with COPD to Barb Moore, COPD Educator. Barb meets with the client once they are discharged from hospital to provide further education and also reports to their GP. This work is being carried out as part of a new regional initiative in VCH known as the Early Supported Discharge (ESD) program. ESD provides short-term rehabilitation to clients with COPD (and/or recovering from heart failure or stroke) recently out of hospital; the program supports better care integration and helps prevent unnecessary readmissions and emergency visits.
Clients in the community with COPD can also be referred for COPD education and/or respiratory rehabilitation. The COPD Education Program offers individual sessions on self-management with Acute Exacerbation Action Plans. The BREATH Respiratory Rehabilitation Program is a 5-week program of exercise, education and social support for COPD clients and their families, and is supported by a multidisciplinary team. Practitioners working in community or in hospital can refer to these programs using the North Shore Chronic Disease Services Referral Form. This form is kept up-to-date and can be accessed from the VCH website (catalogue number EF.850.N67).
For more information about COPD Education, please contact Barbara Moore at 604-988-3131 ext. 4954. For more information on the BREATH Program call 604-984-5888. For further information about the ESD, please contact Sandra Edelman at 604-802-6250.