PhD conferral Ms Nienke Nakken, MSc.

“Patients with COPD and their resident loved ones: home sweet home?”

Keywords: COPD, relatives, caregivers, home situation, ADL

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience symptoms such as shortness of breath and fatigue, which can inhibit their daily activities. Relatives who live with these patients often play an important caregiving role. The Home Sweet Home study found that 29% of these relatives had a respiratory condition themselves, 33% were smokers, and 92% had at least one chronic condition. The relatives struggled to name the patient's key problem activity and the reasons for this were very diverse. Relatives who live with the patient must become more involved in the patient's COPD treatment.

The Home Sweet Home study was awarded a research grant by Longfonds Nederland (the Dutch lung foundation) and by Boehringen Ingelheim Nederland.