My mom has end-stage COPD. She is 69 years old. She was diagnosed 5 years ago and it is progressively getting worse. She is on 4 LPM and on 02 24/7. I see the changes; breathlessness, memory loss, trouble sleeping, depression, anxiety, unable to participate in regular daily activities like she used to. After three hospital stays she finally quit smoking. She wasn't a heavy smoker in comparison to others, about 3-4 cigarettes a day. She did have very bad pneumonia as a baby and almost died back in the 1950s.

I live two states away and I am concerned she is getting worse. How do care givers cope? What do you do? Do I get an aide to be with her? Do I have her go into assisted living?