Starting supplemental oxygen will change your life in many positive ways. You’ll feel healthier and more energetic, and you’ll be able to breathe easier. However, you’ll also have to make room for oxygen in your life and home. A portable oxygen concentrator will be small and light, enabling you to breathe well while on the go, but an oxygen unit for your home will require more space. Keep reading to learn some tips for rearranging your home to support an oxygen unit.
Put Safety First
Unfortunately, having an oxygen unit in your home can increase certain safety hazards since concentrated oxygen is a fuel source for flames. Prioritize safety by arranging your machine and its accessories away from open flames and flammable items. This includes candles, gas burners, space heaters, and even small, heated appliances such as hair dryers. You should be cautious with oil-based and alcohol-based skin and hair products, electric appliances such as electric toothbrushes, and using blankets and sheets made from materials that easily hold static electricity and could spark.
Add Storage
Starting supplement oxygen will require extra supplies in your house, so you’ll need to rearrange things to add safe storage options. You must store spare oxygen tanks upright in a well-ventilated area away from any heat source, including the sun. Other supplies don’t require such specific storage requirements, but it’s a good idea to keep everything together so that you don’t lose anything. Portable oxygen concentrators often come with two batteries, so you should have a place to safely store the spare one. Also, designate a clean, dry space to store extra cannulas and tubing after you’ve washed them.
Change Your Layout
Depending on the size of your home oxygen unit, you may have to rearrange the layout of your home. Some home units are smaller, and you or a loved one can move them from room to room so that you can fully participate in activities without needing to change to your portable oxygen concentrator. While you may have to move furniture around to make room for this mobile unit, they are often too small to disturb your layout.
However, some home oxygen units are larger, heavier, and designed to be stationary. You’ll have to decide which room to put them and then arrange the room around the unit so that you can still comfortably make use of both your oxygen and the room.
Putting safety first, adding storage, and changing your room layout are just three tips for rearranging your home to support an oxygen unit. If you need to buy an oxygen machine for home use, Bridge To Care provides numerous options for any oxygen need. All our units come at zero percent interest and with 12-month financing so that money never gets in the way of you breathing better.