Respiratory Aides and Information

Equipment
Respiratory Medications
Getting Involved With Your Health

Respiratory care at home can contribute to improved quality of life and significant cost savings. Your respiratory care practitioner can help you with your treatment, answer questions you might have, provide instructions, and offer suggestions to better help you live more easily. At Mercer Heath Home Care your health and well being are the most important things to us. That's why we offer a wide array of products to help to make your recovery as easy as it can be.

Equipment
Concentrators and Cylinders
Liquid Oxygen
Suction Machines
Nebulizers
CPAP's
BiPAP's
Oximeters

24 Hour Emergency Service

Respiratory Services
• Extensive use of clinical staff for patient education and assessment
• Thorough home and telephone follow-ups
• Therapist and driver on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 
• Delivery and pick-up of equipment after hours-and not just oxygen 
• Last-minute set-ups during the week and weekends not a problem

Return to top

Respiratory Medication

Mercer Health is pleased to announce that we will now be able to offer the Duoneb® product for our Nebulizer customers. This combined medication product simplifies dosing for many customers that were already taking Albuterol and Ipratropium. If you would like to know more, please contact our pharmacy department today.

At Mercer Health Home Care we make your respiratory
therapy easier and more affordable with:

Monthly home delivery of your medications: We will contact you once a month, and at your request, we'll send your medications directly to your home-even if you divide your residence
over the year.

Direct billing to Medicare or private insurance: We bill Medicare and/or your private insurance for you. You don't have to pay up front, out of pocket for your medications, or wait for reimbursement.

No up front cash outlay

Ready to use only doses: Respiratory medications are pre-mixed and ready to use.

Overnight delivery available

No complicated insurance forms to complete: We will bill Medicare or your private insurance on your behalf. We handle the paperwork, including obtaining the prescription from your physician. We will also bill your secondary carrier for your co-insurance amount.

Save time Your medicine comes to your door, eliminating the need to wait in line or fight traffic. Save hours of paperwork since our insurance specialists handle your claims.
 
Phone in Medication Changes Toll-Free: If there are any changes in your prescription, or in your frequency of use, just call us 419-584-0143  and we'll revise your order immediately after obtaining a new prescription from your physician. This service may be discontinued at any time by you without further obligation.

Get Involved With Your Health

It is important for you to exercise your rights as a patient. Ask questions of your physician, your respiratory care practitioner, your discharge planner, and if necessary, your medical equipment supplier. If training is necessary, make sure that you and your family caregiver practice.

Discuss all the options that are available to you regarding your care plan, renting versus buying equipment, and insurance coverage. Provide all the information that is requested about your family and home situation to help your health care provider plan for your care after you are discharged from the hospital.

Safety
Safety for you, your caregivers, and visitors is very important. If you have been prescribed oxygen therapy, you shouldn't smoke while using oxygen, and no one near you should smoke either. Put up no-smoking signs in your home where you will be using oxygen.

Because oxygen is flammable, you should stay at least five feet away from gas stoves, lighted fireplaces, candles, or any other open flame. Don't use flammable products like aerosol sprays, paint thinner, or rubbing alcohol. Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby, and let the fire department know that you have oxygen in the house.

If you have a cylinder of oxygen, make sure it is in a stand or secured to something solid. The tank is heavy, and if it gets knocked over and damaged, the gas could escape, making the cylinder act like a rocket. If you have long tubing that lets you move about the house, warn visitors so they won't trip on it. If you have a vessel of liquid oxygen, keep it upright. If it falls on its side, the oxygen will pour out, and it is
so cold it could hurt your skin.

Make sure your electrical system doesn't overload because of the equipment you are using. Use only grounded electrical outlets. Avoid extension cords. Notify the electric company that you have a ventilator or oxygen concentrator in your home so your house will get priority attention if the power fails.

Infection Control
Preventing infections can help the respiratory home care patient stay as healthy as possible. Hand-washing
is the single most important thing for patients and caregivers to perform on a routine basis. Use a liquid
soap and lots of warm running water. Work up a good lather and scrub for at least 15 seconds (including
fingernails). Rinse well, with your hands pointed down to keep the dirty water from running up your arms.
Dry your hands with a clean paper or cloth towel. Even if the caregiver wears gloves in caring for the
patient, hand washing is required before putting the gloves on and after taking them off. If you have to use
a moisturizer on your hands, avoid a petroleum-based product if you wear latex gloves.

Your respiratory care equipment should be cleaned on a regular basis. Besides washing with a mild detergent and rinsing carefully, it is necessary to sanitize your equipment in a vinegar solution of one part
vinegar to three parts distilled water. Rinse carefully and let the parts air dry on a clean cloth or towel.

If you use oxygen and there is a humidifier in the system, you need to wash the bottle in warm, soapy
water daily and sanitize it once or twice a week. If you have an oxygen concentrator, it is necessary to
clean the air filter and compressor filter on a scheduled basis. If you use a metered-dose inhaler or a
nebulizer, the mouthpiece should be rinsed with warm water after each use and sanitized as directed by
your health care provider.

These are only guidelines, and the specific directions for cleaning and sanitizing your home medical
equipment should be part of the instructions you get from your health care provider or your home medical
equipment company.

Return to top