Home oxygen therapy is prescribed for some patients who have low oxygen in their blood and need more oxygen than is available from room air alone. Low blood oxygen may be due to a number of chronic, mainly respiratory, conditions the most common of which is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease or COPD. Show In Scotland home oxygen can only be prescribed by an authorised prescriber from the hospital, usually a respiratory consultant although it can also be prescribed by a paediatrician, neurologist or cardiologist. GPs cannot prescribe oxygen therapy. Oxygen will not help your breathlessness if your blood oxygen levels are normal. But if you have a condition that means the level of oxygen in your blood is low, oxygen treatment can make you feel better and live longer. How oxygen therapy is givenOxygen therapy can be given in a number of ways including:
How home oxygen therapy can helpIf you have a health condition that causes low levels of oxygen in your blood (hypoxia), you may feel breathless and tired, particularly after walking or coughing. Fluid may also build up around your ankles (oedema) and you may have blue lips (cyanosis). Breathing air with a higher concentration of oxygen than normal can increase the amount of oxygen in your blood. This makes it easier to carry out activities that might otherwise be more difficult. It also helps reduce the symptoms mentioned above. Oxygen therapy can help people with a range of health conditions including: People who have oxygen therapy have different requirements. For example, you may only need oxygen treatment for short periods during the day when you're walking about (ambulatory oxygen). Or you may need it for longer periods during the day and night - long term oxygen therapy (LTOT). Oxygen therapy assessmentIf you have a long-term medical condition and your doctor thinks oxygen therapy might be helpful, you'll be asked to visit the hospital for an assessment. During the assessment it's likely that the amount of oxygen in your blood will be measured by taking a blood sample from your earlobe or wrist. Other tests may be performed including:
Oxygen therapy may be recommended if the amount of oxygen in your blood is low. It's important that home oxygen therapy is only given if test results show that it's needed. If you are prescribed oxygen therapy at home, a healthcare professional at the hospital will decide how much oxygen you’ll need and how long you’ll need it for. They'll also discuss the different ways the oxygen can be provided. This may involve a joint assessment at home with your respiratory nurse and the oxygen supplier Dolby Vivisol, or with other oxygen specialists. By agreeing to go on oxygen therapy some information about your oxygen requirements will be shared with other NHS organisations and with the oxygen contractor Dolby Vivisol. They'll send an engineer to your home to install the equipment and explain how to use it. They'll also deliver new supplies of oxygen if you need them and check your equipment every so often. Once your oxygen requirements have been assessed, the hospital will complete a Scottish Home Oxygen Order Form (SHOOF) and send it to the oxygen contractor. This is like a prescription. The oxygen equipment will be delivered to your home by a Dolby Vivisol engineer. They'll explain how it works and go over some of the safety aspects of using oxygen. Going on holidayIf you're going on holiday within the UK you can request that a secondary supply is placed at your holiday destination. You should email Dolby Vivisol and provide them with the details of your holiday. Tell them where you are going and provide the full postal address, contact name and telephone number. It is your responsibility to obtain permission of the property owner to have oxygen installed before you arrive and to have it uplifted after you leave. You should allow up to 3 weeks notice to allow suitable arrangements to be made. The home oxygen service provides a holiday oxygen service within the UK. If you are going to travel outside the UK and need oxygen, it is your responsibility to arrange this. You may need to pay for this. Some airlines charge up to £200 per flight for inflight oxygen, so check before making any plans. Always check with your doctor before going away to make sure you're well enough to travel. The British Lung Foundation has advice about going on holiday with a lung condition. Useful contactsRemoval of equipment If the oxygen equipment needs to be removed for any reason, please phone Dolby Vivisol on 0800 833 531 and they will make the arrangements, if appropriate. Contact Dolby Vivisol To contact Dolby Vivisol at their Patient Contact Centre, please call 0800 833 531 (freephone). Their working hours are Monday to Friday 9.00am - 5.00pm. They have a 24 hour freephone helpline to address any of your urgent enquiries. This number is free to call from landlines, however there may be a charge if you are calling from a mobile phone. Any home oxygen query should be addressed to: Dolby Vivisol, North Suite, Lomond Court, Castle Business Park, Stirling, FK9 4TU. Telephone: 0800 833 531 Email: [email protected] www.dolbyvivisol.com The Home Oxygen Service is managed by National Services Scotland who can be contacted below: Home Oxygen Service, Health Facilities Scotland, Gyle Square, 1 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 3EB. What is the fastest way to increase oxygen saturation?Breathing in fresh air: Opening your windows or going outside for a walk can increase the amount of oxygen that your body brings in, which increases your overall blood oxygen level.
What causes elderly oxygen levels to drop?Older people have lower oxygen retention in the supine position during sleep. The reason is hypoventilation due to age-related reduced lung elasticity, depressed respiratory regulation caused by autonomic dysfunction as well as underventilation due to cardiac, lung and brain diseases [1–7].
What oxygen level is too low for elderly?People over 70 years of age may have oxygen levels closer to 95%. Normal oxygen saturation levels (SpO2) are between 95 to 100 percent for both adults and children. Oxygen saturation levels below 95% are considered abnormal, and the brain may be affected when SpO2 levels drop below 80 to 85 percent.
What should elderly oxygen levels be?What Is the Normal Oxygen Level for the Elderly? The normal oxygen saturation level is from 97 to 100%. Older adults usually have lower levels of oxygen levels as compared to younger adults. If a person is older than 70, a normal oxygen level could be around 95% instead.
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How to increase blood oxygen levels in elderly
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