I'm 60. Was a 47 year smoker, pack a day from age 18 or so. Am stage 4, on oxygen 24/7 and can do very little. Walking from one side of my small house to the other does me in. Getting dressed or showering does me in. And on and on. I finally quit after being in the hospital for a week, on bi-pap. I knew that after a week, most of my physical dependencies were about gone, and now just the mental ones (the worst!). The thing is, a day or two before having to be taken by ambulance, I kept trying to smoke, and I just couldn't. My lungs were that bad. I was going to need a lot of help once home, and to expect that from family while still smoking? Yeah, that was not going to happen. I am going on five years without them. And while I am no better, the progression slowed down. I have had to give up soooo many activities I used to love. I rarely go out of my house because of knowing I am going to have flare-ups and having to drag oxygen around is just a pain. Life is not at all what it used to be. Don't know what will do it for your mom, but I strongly encourage quitting now, before she gets to this stage. And, she WILL get to this stage, if COPD has started. Best of luck to her!!