I am hoping this site gives me some insight on how to convince my mother to get help. She is 61 years old and was diagnosed with COPD over 5 years ago. In the last year her family doctor had PFTs done and sent her to a pulmonologist who told her she has 13% lung function, but because that pulmonologist told her nothing can be done until she quits smoking she thinks she cannot get another appointment or any help and she will not even try. She sees a "janky" (the best word I can find to describe him) family physician who prescribes her albuterol, that is it; however, he is not a pulmonologist and since she thinks and refuses to believe that this general practitioner is not the right doctor for her I really cannot put the blame on him. I am a medical transcriptionist by trade and have been for the last 15 years. I cover pulmonology and I KNOW there are treatments out there. Because she cannot breath she gets anxiety very often, she's severely depressed because she cannot participate in normal activities of daily living and recently it seems she's become resentful of the rest of the family because we can and she can't. How can I convince her that there is more help out there for her? I want to be stern and take matters into my own hands and schedule her an appointment and do what i would do if it were me but she's so fragile that I am afraid I will cross the line and damage our relationship. Does anyone have any advice for me to help convince her to seek proper medical attention? I am at my wits end with this right now. I feel like she just really does not care if she lives or dies at this point.