A consistent, reliable and economical oxygen supply is essential within aged care facilities and is a contractual obligation to residents suffering from emphysema, COPD and other respiratory conditions. But which oxygen delivery system is best; pre-filled bottles or oxygen concentrators?

 

The answer essentially boils down to cost. Bottles are a relatively low cost to fill at $30-60 but only last a few hours for smaller sizes and up to a day with larger. Concentrators require more initial investment but are thereafter convenient and efficient, lasting for years delivering oxygen with little maintenance and the only ongoing expense being power.

 

Oxygen Bottles

When aged care facilities use bottled oxygen, residents' oxygen levels need to be continually monitored to make sure the concentration factor is always correct and the bottles don't run low or worse, run out. Additionally, there is the ongoing chore of having to organise refilling, delivery and associated costs, which can be expensive in relation to how long the bottles last. Over a year, the total cost of delivery to any given resident requiring oxygen could run into the thousands.

 

Oxygen Concentrators

These days, most oxygen concentrators can be purchased for under $1800 and generally the life of their sieve beds (the component that concentrates and produces the oxygen), will last in excess of 10,000 hours – that's more than 12 months of constant use. Also, as technology has improved, the average concentrator weight has decreased by approximately 50% from 25kg a few years ago to around 13kg now. This means modern concentrators have become conveniently portable and can be easily stored within aged care facilities, ready to go wherever and whenever they're needed.

 

Cost-Benefits Ratios

More aged care facilities in New Zealand are purchasing their own oxygen concentrators because, when the costs of investing in concentrators versus the ongoing costs of refilling bottles are analysed over time, the benefits of the former are found to be quite significant. And, along with the long-term cost savings, the convenience of using oxygen concentrators within aged care is proving to be a wise choice for many facilities.