Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Choosing a better lifestyle
Hoag Hospital’s Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program gives you all the tools you need to improve your breathing, but you have to make a commitment to:
- Giving up cigarettes (if you smoke)
- Starting a regular exercise program
- Making other lifestyle changes
- A team effort
Help for troubled breathers
When you suffer from asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis, you don’t take breathing for granted. In fact, breathing becomes the single most important thing in life.
Reducing your level of daily activity can actually cause an even greater loss of physical conditioning resulting in increased shortness of breath. Like other troubled breathers, you may be curtailing physical and social activities you once enjoyed. This is a natural response, but one that can start you on a downward spiral. Some people feel anxious and even panic at times when they experience shortness of breath, often thinking they can conserve their breath and energy by avoiding physical exertion.
Don’t struggle by yourself with breathing problems. Hoag Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program can help you understand your condition and provide treatment and management techniques for a wide range of breathing problems.
A team effort
Hoag Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team includes your doctor, a respiratory therapist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, clinical pharmacist, social worker and a dietitian.
The program includes
- A team-centered approach to customizing your individualized program. Each participant receives one-on-one instruction with members of Hoag Pulmonary Rehabilitation Team.
- The latest medical information on your condition and the medications recommended for optimal health.
- Training in special breathing and relaxation techniques to better control your condition.
- Individualized exercise-conditioning program to increase your strength and endurance.
- Educational information for your family.
- Access to Better Breather’s Support group which helps patients with similar health problems.
The benefits of this program last a lifetime. This is an outpatient program of instruction, education and patient participation. The program is individualized, and generally consists of 12 half-day sessions, (3.5 hours each) three times per week for four weeks. There are two sessions available per day, either morning or afternoon.
Support after treatment
Following completion of the program, you are encouraged to take part in a number of support activities to help keep you up-to-date on the latest information available, including:
- Attending the weekly patient education lectures.
- Invitation to attend the Better Breathers Support Group, a free program sponsored by Hoag Hospital and the American Lung Association.
How to get started
Once you and your doctor decide this program can improve your lifestyle, it only takes one phone call to Hoag Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Coordinator at 949/764-5831.
Be a better breather
Commit yourself to a healthier, more active, high-quality lifestyle, and start experiencing the many benefits of attending Hoag Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program. These benefits can include:
- Breathing easier.
- Regaining better control of your breathing.
- Having less fear and anxiety about your health.
For additional information and answers to your questions, please call 949/764-5831.
*Covered by Medicare & most insurance programs; a prescription is required. Please check with your provider to see if you are eligible.
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