My 75-year old father is suffering from accute pneumonia and has had bad respiratory problems since June of this year. He was in the hospital for about a week and that was enough for him. You see–my dad is very connected to us, his family, and every additional moment he spent in the health institution, was a moment he could not rest. I decided that the best arrangement, then, would be to bring him home with us and purchase home medical equipment to care for him ourselves. After the doctors allowed me to do so, I took my dad back to his beloved house where we began the journey of home medical care.
At first, it was a bit tough because both my husband and I work but eventually, I just took an extended leave of absence so that I could care for my ailing father. I figured that the more valuable hours I spent with him, the happier he would be–the happier we would both be. The first step I took was to find the right home medical equipment supplier and work with them to find what we needed. Being around the doctors and nurses in the hospital, I was able to gain an understanding of the machines used in treating his pneumonia. I then went online to purchase the right home medical equipment he needed and with the help of some respiratory care practitioner, I was able to get them up and running.
One particular medical tool that is indispensable for pneumonia patients is a breathing tank. Buying my dad this important home medical equipment allowed him to be mobile while being able to breath more easily. When he has to resign to the bed, there is also a respiratory ventilator that works with both high and low pressure oxygen sources. It’s only the size of a laptop and weighs about 12 pounds. Finally, I also bought a humidifier for my dad to set set the optimal temperature and humidity levels according to how much he needs it.
Once you have all of the components of your home medical equipment, it’s crucial to be able to keep them clean and control infection. Before and after I use the machines, I will always wash my hands with an anti-bacterial soap. I will also wash the bottle in the humidifier and respiratory ventilator quite regularly. I want to keep the home medical equipment and the home as sanitized as it is ideally kept in the hospital.
