Many areas throughout the country are seeing an increase in assisted living and nursing homes. An increasing number of developers are purchasing older homes and buildings to remodel and create smaller assisted living, nursing homes, or a combination of both. If you are part of this growing number of developers you may have an issue with the installation of a particular type of outlet. Medical gas outlets are vital in distributing various medical gasses to patients as needed. These outlets vary and have several key points to keep in mind. Here are some of those key points.

Oxygen Outlets

There are many medical gas outlets. For example, hospitals may need several different outlets for emergency operating rooms and emergency rooms in general. These can include oxygen, medical air, nitrous oxide, and other gases depending on the room use. As an assisted living or nursing home developer, your primary need will be for oxygen outlets in each room. Many elderly patients and residents require the use of oxygen and need this outlet to make distribution easier. 

Outlet Options

There are several options available to you with medical gas outlets. The option that is key deals with the input type of the outlet. For example, there are several input types depending on the type of oxygen tank the resident may use. These types include DIN, MK IV, Kawasaki style, and Afnor. Since there are multiple types of outlet input options, you may find that having a multiple or universal outlet input to be the ideal option. This would allow for your residents to attach their oxygen to the outlet regardless of the tank style or type. 

Port Size

Medical gas outlets are available in several port sizes. This refers to the number of ports that are available on the outlet. For example, if you visit a modern medical hospital, you may find a four-port medical gas outlet in the emergency room. This is to distribute different types of gases depending on the need or multiple streams of the same gas if the room holds more than one patient. You can choose from one to four ports on most medical gas outlet styles. Longer hoses and cords are available if necessary for your resident or if there are two residents per room. 

When you are ready to move forward with the remodeling of your building and with adding medical gas outlets, contact your local contractor. They can analyze and do a walkthrough of the property. This will let them know what steps they need to take to install the gas outlets and if there are any additional special considerations you should keep in mind.