title: Elderly people at home disabled by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We compared uptake of hospital and community-based support in elderly people disabled by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), normal controls (NCs) and patients with Parkinsons disease, stroke, amputation, or arthritis (disabled controls; DCs).
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 65 subjects (35 men) aged 70-93 years (mean 78) with COPD, 55 NCs [23 men; age range 71-90 years (mean 78)] and 53 DCs [27 men; age range 70-92 years (mean 78)]. Patients with COPD and DCs were outpatients with Nottingham extended activities of daily living (NEADL) score < 16. NCs came from a community survey. Subjects with COPD were clinically stable. All were cognitively intact.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean NEADL scores (and range) were: 10.2 (3-15) for patients with COPD, 9.4 (3-15) for DCs (t=1.14, P=0.26) and 19.0 (11-21) for NCs. There was no difference in meals-on-wheels, district nurse or hospital or physiotherapy provision between patients with COPD and NCs, but those with COPD received more home care (P < 0.01). DCs received more home care (P=0.04), more district nurse input (P < 0.001) and more physiotherapy (P < 0.0001) than those with COPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite moderate or severe disability, elderly patients with COPD receive little statutory domiciliary support. Reasons for this need further exploration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Manchester, Barnes Hospital, Cheadle, Cheshire, UK.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Yohannes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roomi
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male