copd with chf

[chf from copd]

My friends mother (73) has had copd/emphysema now for 8 yrs & is type 2 diabetic & also has had chf now for a year, she is on oxygen 24/7 the whole 8 yrs she has been diagnosed, she use many inhalers now also, flovent afa 22mg, atrovent fha, serevant disk 50mg, she has edema all over, hands & fingers, puffy face & eyes, she has had glaucoma last Sept. in both eyes, surgery was done, she sleeps most of the day, is house ridden now for 2 yrs, except for trips to the doctors, her other meds are buprofen 900mg, glyburide 2.5mg, lisinoprol 12mg, norvasc 2.5mg, omeprazole 20mg, diprolene cream 60mg, taclonex 60mg, her palm of her hands itch & are jaundice also, she is unable to cook now for herself this past month, is she @ what is called end stage copd/emphysema & chf?  she was hospitalized once last Sept. 10 for her copd, she had been going to the doctors often at least once a week & right now has not been, i'm not sure if it's because they stabilized her meds for her or is there something more to not having doctor visits right now, at what point do they tell a person there is nothing more they can do for them except the meds they are taking, how long can a person last with copd & chf (8yrs copd now & 1 yr chf) also type 2 diabetic, will she decline suddenly now?  

[chf from copd]

Thanks for your reply, any input is appreciated to help me help my friend with anything i can learn & share with him, since he works 2 jobs & is her caretaker also, i just want to keep him informed of what may be ahead to watch for with her progression, there has been know talk that he knows of of hospice or palliative care at this time from any of the other family members that help care for also. i do know he has now been doing all the cooking the past couple of months for her, she is unable to cook for herself at this point anymore even. Thanks again.

[starion]

Your friend & her mom need to speak with her healthcare providers to see what they advise in light of her current health conditions.  They can advise the patient whether hospice or palliative care might be appropriate to her needs.  It can be a very useful service and is free under Medicare & many health plans.  Since you are not a family member and you have not mentioned any authorization for you to receive medical info, healthcare providers generally can't communicate  with you about the case except to speak in very general terms.  

The case sounds quite complicated between the emphysema, diabetes and now CHF.  There are other patients who have these issues, but all cases are different and need to be carefully managed among the docs.

Starion