COPD Support Group to hold their first AGM
By William O'Connor
Tallaght COPD Support Group will hold its Annual General Meeting in Rua Red Arts on Thursday, September 20.
Starting at noon, the meeting will commence following the groups usual Thursday exercise class.
Phil Meehan helped set up the group last year
Chairperson Phil Meehan told The Echo: “This will be our first AGM since the setting up of the Group last year. Tallaght and its surrounding areas badly needed an initiative to aid COPD sufferers and we have tried to address this.
"I believe we can look back on the year with some satisfaction. Having started from scratch with almost nothing in the kitty we have arranged professionally supervised weekly exercise classes at a very modest cost to our members.”
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a lung disorder that makes everyday activities like walking and dressing difficult.
Thousands of people have the ailment, many of them undiagnosed. Its symptoms are shortness of breath and cough with sputum production.
Principally affecting those over 40 it is caused by smoking while air pollution and genetics play a role.
While the illness cannot be cured it can be sucessfully managed, exercise is central to this.
Achieving and maintaining the best fitness level you can comfortably is key.
Carol Muldoon, secretary, said: “People with COPD have mobility difficulties and this can lead to them becoming house bound.
Combat isolation
“One of our group’s aims is to combat isolation. We meet a little before our Thursday class for a cup of tea and a chat. Rua Red is ideal for this. We also put on outings from time to time, something we intend to develop.”
During the past year Tallaght COPD Group has hosted meetings where a pharmacist has advised on the latest medicines and their correct use.
The group have also had a physiopherspist give a talk. Another meeting had advisors from Citizens Info speak on entitlements.
If you have COPD or if someone close to you has you are invited to attend the AGM where plans for the coming year will be discussed and contributions from the floor will be welcome.
