Background
Nurses are concerned that COPD patients effectively self-administer medications that control the disease’s dyspneic episodes.
Several studies have shown that intact executive & cognitive function is critical for correct self-administration of metered-dose inhalers (Allen, Jain, Ragab, & Malik, 2003; Liesker et al., 2004;)
Yet--research suggests that elderly with COPD have impaired cognitive function compared to healthy, age-matched elders (Allen & Ragab, 2006; Gray et al, 1996; Meek, Lareau, & Anderson, 2001).