Cry for help to anyone out there with experience of elderly parent/relative on home oxygen?

[fartmeistergeneral]

This is all new and overwhelming.

Can I take my elderly father to a restaurant with an oxygen tank? I'm not sure of the do's and don'ts!

Your dad can go anywhere with his oxygen, he just needs to keep away from candles, open fires and smokers - 6ft according to the NHS info

He was attending a day care centre for the elderly a few days a week before all this, but they can't take him with an oxygen tank so he's stuck in the house, and I wondered if other public places had similar restrictions.

Yes, as Dibbler says - once you get used to working out how best to transport the oxygen bottle ( you can buy smaller ones that are portable - we used to buy them in 6 packs...)
My mother had a pretty basic wheel chair so I would slide it in beside her propped up on the seat. If she was using her "walker" zimmer type thing it had a basket in the front I could put it in.
After a while you don't really notice it .....good luck and I hope your father feels a whole lot better on oxygen therapy.

My dad had a large cylinder for home use and a small one for going out with. We never had any problems.

Did they say why they can't take him? That seems really odd.

Are you in the UK? Because if so, I can't see why he couldn't keep going to the day centre

In Scotland, they said it was for health and safety reasons. I'm going to contact social work to ask why and see what his options are.

Unless people smoke at the day centre (legally!) Then that is misinformation. If hes on ambulatory oxygen as well then he should be prescribed small portable tanks.

I would suggest either you or he gets un touch with the oxygen assessment service for advice. He should have an opd letter from them with a phone number on. Hth

I have been on permanent oxygen for about a year now, so PM me with any practical questions and it'll do my best to help. As others have said, I can't understand why he can't continue at the day centre - i am 34, and still go shopping, on holidays, to festivals, theatres, cinemas, swimming pools etc.