How to Help with Oxygen Therapy

If the person that you’re caring for needs oxygen therapy, you may need to help them with it.

In this video, we’ll review how to set up and take care of oxygen treatment so you can keep the person you’re caring for healthy and comfortable.

Let’s try it!

Oxygen is very flammable, and safety is important. Before turning on oxygen flow make sure there are no sources of heat or flame near the tank or around the person you’re caring for.

Oxygen can come in a tank or in a condenser. Start by setting that up near the person you’re caring for.

You’ll also need the oxygen tubing their doctor said they should use. Usually nasal prongs or a face mask.

Last but not least, you’ll need to know how much oxygen the person you’re caring for needs. This is determined by the doctor and the number of liters of oxygen per minute is how it’s written. Never give them more oxygen than the doctor orders, treat it like any other prescription medication.

A condenser works by taking oxygen out of the air so it won’t run out of oxygen, but it needs electricity to run. If you’re using an oxygen condenser, make sure it’s plugged in.

If you’re using an oxygen tank you’ll have to make sure that the tank is full, but it doesn’t need electricity to run so it can be portable or used when the power goes out. For an oxygen tank, you’ll have to attach the regulator dial to the tank to get started.

Attach the tubing to the oxygen output valve, and turn on the oxygen flow. You can do this by turning on the condenser or opening the valve on the tank.

Next, turn the dial to the number that the doctor ordered.

Hold your hand over the opening of the mask or nasal prongs and feel to make sure that the oxygen is flowing

If the person you’re caring for uses nasal prongs, put them on by putting the prongs in their nose curved down and looping the tubing over their ears.

If the skin behind their ears gets sore, there are foam pads you can buy to help, or just wrap a piece of gauze around the tube to make it more comfortable.

If they use a mask, put the mask over their nose and mouth then put the elastic strap behind their head. You can press the metal nose piece around their nose and adjust the elastic straps to help make it more comfortable for them.

If the person you’re caring for is having a hard time breathing, sitting up can help. Using an adjustable bed or pillows to prop them up when they go to bed will help them breathe a little easier but still be comfortable enough to sleep.

Helping the person you’re caring for, with their oxygen will help them feel better, which will make you both breathe a little easier.

Check out our care guide for more information about oxygen therapy and visit our website for more caregiver resources and videos.