My dad has emphysema that has progressed. He also has had a collapsed lung. He has been in and out of hospitals and is now on oxygen full time.

Q. My dad has emphysema that has progressed. He also has had a collapsed lung. He has been in and out of hospitals and is now on oxygen full time. Is there any possibility that he would be approved for social security? He is 59 years old.

A. Your father should talk to his own doctors regarding the severity of his condition and whether his disability might meet the Social Security’s Act’s disability criteria. An application for Disability Insurance benefits should be filed at his local Social Security office. The local office will assemble evidence of his medical evidence of his condition and forward it to your State Disability Determination Service (DDS). The state DDS is the agency responsible for making the disability decision.