The guests will arrive on this Saturday. They told me that their mother is Oxygen dependent. Therefore, they need to bring a equipment with them. They did not inform me this when they booked. Can I cancel the reservation in this situation?
You can cancel but you will be penalized.
What is your concern?
I am concerned about their mother’s illness. I feel she should stay in hospital rather than in my apartment.
Oh for goodness sakes… there is no reason someone with an oxygen tank should be in a hospital. Perhaps you can use Dr. Google to understand what being oxygen dependent means. Your only caution should be no open flames and saws or knives on the floor that might cut the tubing. [Seriously, my uncle didn’t bother with cleaning up his saws and knives or hatchets. Fire Department was unimpressed.]
If you cancel on this person, you, in my opinion, deserve whatever penalty AirBNB choses to throw at you.
7 Likes
After communicating with my guests, I feel more comfortable. In my country, oxygen dependent device means a life support machine. That is the reason why I am anxious.
2 Likes
Definitely not cause to cancel. And it doesn’t mean the guest needs to be in a hospital!
It likely means that she will be coming with a portable oxygen canister on wheels that is a little taller and narrower than a carry on suitcase, which she will bring with her as she moves through the home (and outside as well)
If there are LOTS of stairs, etc, you might ask the guests if she will be all right using them. You are probably within your rights to ask what the equipment will look like or if there’s anything special she’ll need for it. Beyond that - definitely not cause to cancel.
1 Like
In Canada, many people live almost normal lives while requiring oxygen. They carry small backpacks with oxygen tanks.
1 Like
As Louise said.
I’ve a friend who carries oxygen in a backpack and has lived this way on 24hr O2 for years. He manages to travel very regularly- we have to trust people with long-term conditions to know what they can/can’t do and not make assumptions. Glad the OP was reassured by their upcoming guest.
2 Likes
As a precaution I would contact your insurance company and let them know. Most won’t charge anything extra but it needs to be noted on the policy. I brought a baby home on o2 and we were told to inform the insurance company.
If the o2 or other equipment needs to be plugged , you will need to contact your electrical provider and advise them that you have someone o2 or other dependant staying with you for several days or whatever. If the event of a power cut they can provide emergency back up to your home.
Make sure no one smokes around them.
The laws would vary country to country but it’s mostly common else.
5 Likes
Everyone is oxygen dependent
7 Likes
And should be. I do hope when I am dying or have some nasty medical condition that requires me to have a power point and a small rank of oxygen I don’t book with a host like this.
2 Likes
From working with very ill and not I’ll at all people with disabilities for a long time- I assure you whatever country you are from, this is NOT what oxygen dependent means. It is what you thought and you were wrong. I’m even more shocked at your cold response given you actually thought this person was on life support. 
wow really. I’m not sure the people service business is for you.
When the guests informed me that they would bring a full-size medical equipment as her mother has lung conditions, I thought it was ventilators in ICU department which are for patients in coma. That is the reason why I was nervous. It is beyond an Airbnb host’s capacity to deal with a seriously ill patient. What if something really urgent happens? However, after I communicated with the guests and realized it was only a small device, I was not concerned about the reservation any more.
4 Likes
It sounds like you let your imagination run away. Clearly a patient who is in a coma can’t travel and therefore can’t book an Airbnb.
3 Likes
Why not ask your potential guests to elaborate? Does this mean that the mother can’t walk around the apartment or place that you are renting? Is she bedridden? Does she require a wheelchair? I would ask these questions to help make her more comfortable, not chastise her because she’s forced to use something mechanical to keep her alive.
1 Like
Many people are not aware of exactly what oxygen-dependent means, so I get you.
It sounds like they may be bringing her concentrator, which is not really a small piece of equipment in this home-care RN’s opinion. There are two kinds of concentrators, and then there are free standing oxygen tanks.
The larger concentrator uses a lot of electricity, is noisy, and can heat up a room, so if you are in a warm place, they may need to turn up the AC.
Now, if they are just bringing a portable concentrator that is different (meaning one they can actually carry).
Tanks are OK…people think they are more dangerous than they really are
And I actually completely agree with you…it IS beyond a hosts capacity and expected responsibility to deal with a guest who requires medical equipment to breathe, especially if they bring a plug-in concentrator.
It’s one thing if they were renting a free standing, alone place, but if they are sharing the space with you, I would have expected that information up front.
4 Likes
@EllenN
It is his mother who needs the device not the person who books the apartment.
There are small oxygen concentrators, but a full size one is smaller than a wheelchair. They don’t heat up rooms in my experience, but I doubt they are travelling with a full size one.
I think it’s overkill to call insurance. People walk around with these devices in stores etc.
It may depend on room size and insulation status, but I have experienced room
I see many people in their homes who are on oxygen.
Some of them live in senior apt buildings, these are not fancy apt buildings, all my patients are on medicaid with subsidized housing.
Patient A is 02 dependent and lives next door to Patient B.
Both apartments have same size living rooms, same windows, same sun coming.
But living room of patient A warmer than living room of patient B.
The plug in concentrators use a ton of energy, enough to see an increase in a monthly bill, even for just a one night stay. I have many patients who choose how many days of the month to use their oxygen to control their electric bill!
I’m hoping the guest is using a smaller portable tank.
1 Like