Responding To Ice Storm, New England Oxygen Providers Mobilize To Ensure Safety Of Home Oxygen Patients

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Caregivers / Homecare;  COPD
Article Date: 18 Dec 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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Home oxygen providers in New England prepared for the deadly ice storm that struck last week and have responded with extra visits and contacts with patients receiving home oxygen therapy. An oxygen patient who uses an oxygen system that runs on electricity must have a back-up supply of oxygen that will last until power is restored. Oxygen therapy is critical to more than one million Americans who suffer from respiratory illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

William E. Desmarais, RRT, is co/owner of Home Care Specialists, Inc., (HCS) located in Haverhill, Mass., which provides durable medical equipment to the northeastern section of Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. The company cares for more than 800 oxygen patients who were forced to rely on backup emergency gaseous cylinders provided by HCS following the power failures caused by the New England ice storms on Thursday and Friday, December 11-12, 2008.

"Providing home oxygen service is more than dropping of a piece of oxygen equipment to a patient's home. In many cases home oxygen companies provide home oxygen service over and above what is required by accrediting agencies and by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services," said Desmarais. On Friday, December 12, with no electrical power at the HCS facility in Haverhill, Mass., and no phone service, the company implemented its disaster response program. With the help of a generator, HCS was able to handle patient calls using cell phones and deliver more than 100 emergency backup oxygen cylinders to patients without power. The following day, HCS delivered and serviced more than 60 emergency backup oxygen cylinders and another 30 were serviced on Sunday, December 14.

"We have heard similar stories from many of our members who provide home oxygen equipment," said Karyn Estrella, executive director of the New England Medical Equipment Dealers Association. "They have been busy throughout the weekend making sure their patients have enough back-up equipment to last until power is restored. One of our members, Clinical 1 Home Medical in Hingham, Mass., delivered oxygen to a nursing home whose back-up generator failed and they ran out of tanks. They also transported oxygen to an ambulance company in Worcester who had exhausted their supplies."

Thousands of the 400,000 residents without power in Massachusetts are home oxygen patients. Without the efforts of durable medical equipment providers like HCS, many of those patients using home oxygen therapy would be required to enter local hospitals. The extra care and service provided by HCS and other home medical equipment companies allow senior and those with respiratory illnesses to remain in the safety of their homes.

About Oxygen Therapy

The typical Medicare home oxygen beneficiary is a 73 year-old who suffers from late-stage COPD with associated severe low levels of oxygen in the blood (hypoxemia). COPD is the only leading cause of death for which both prevalence and mortality are rising. COPD is a chronic, debilitating disease characterized by severe airflow limitation resulting from chronic inflammation of the airways. Approximately 12 million Americans have been diagnosed with COPD, and an estimated 12 to 15 million more remain undiagnosed. Use of medical oxygen equipment is imperative to the overall well-being of patients on oxygen therapy.

The American Association for Homecare represents durable medical equipment providers, manufacturers, and other organizations in the homecare community. Members serve the medical needs of millions of Americans who require oxygen equipment and therapy, mobility assistive technologies, medical supplies, inhalation drug therapy, home infusion, and other medical equipment and services in their homes. The Association's members operate more than 3,000 homecare locations in all 50 states. Visit www.aahomecare.org.

Michael Reinemer
Vice President, Communications and Policy
American Association for Homecare
2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 725
Arlington, VA 22202 703-535-1881
American Association for Homecare