Despite the support systems that may be available, the scope of the recent pandemic is debilitating on a multitude of levels including, but not limited to, psychological, social, and financial. Older people already coping with mental distress on the sidelines of chronic illness, may
be further compromised. The older person with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often struggles to withstand the anxiety and depression that is intertwined with symptoms of worsening respiratory function.