Woodbury, NY - December 6, 2018 - Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (Woodbury) proclaimed November as COPD Awareness Month in the 18th Legislative District after touring the specialized Cardio-Pulmonary program provided by Excel at Woodbury Rehabilitation and Nursing facility on Nov. 30.
Legislator Lafazanpresented Excel Administrator Stacey Altman with a proclamation for the facility’s year-old program to highlight the importance of education on the disease of COPD and how to manage its symptoms.
COPD Awareness Month is an internationally-recognized annual awareness and education campaign to enhance exposure around chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which makes it difficult to breathe. Excel’s unique program - one of just four such programs offered in Nassau County - provides a personalized cardio-pulmonary exercise program in addition to physical and occupational therapy.
The program features yoga, tai chi, meditation, group therapy, education on the disease, harmonica classes to increase lung capacity and coping strategies to manage symptoms at home when patients are discharged. To help COPD sufferers in the community avoid hospital visits and enjoy a better quality of life, the Excel staff also makes the education available free of charge through local outreach efforts.