My husband has been on dialysis for over a year now and he has learned the correct and incorrect methods for care in the dialysis unit. However, as of late, there have been several incidents that have occurred that he has problems with. There was one incident in which another dialysis patient was allowed to touch my husbands machine(to stop it from beeping, due to high blood pressure) My husband complained to the rns on duty and was told it was ok, because the other patient "knew" how to do it. Well, I know how to do it and so does my husband, but it is not our place to take care of it. Also, he and his brother go to dialysis at the same place and same time. They were told they couldn't be on the same side of the center, due to possibly confusing medications etc. Well last week they were put on the same side, 3 chairs from one another. My husband has complained to the nurses and head nurse so much that he has alienated himself from them and he is treated with much disrespect. What can we do?

keep complaining. demand your correct rights never relent

The dialysis facility has an obligation to provide quality care in a safe fashion. It's not appropriate for another patient or family member to cancel an alarm condition, no matter what their knowledge level is. Please contact the Network or Dept of Public Health and share your concern.

The law states that you can go directly to your state to complain, you should have been explained your rights, and signed it. If your not comfortable complaining in your unit, for what ever reason, you go to the state and they will keep it anonymous. They should have given you a copy of the form.

To give you some information regarding what we do in our clinic: We do NOT allow blood relatives or spouses to dialyze at the same time (same shift and same day of the week). The reason for this is because if one of the relatives/spouses becomes seriously ill while on treatment, the other relative will become quite upset. In fact, one of them could die in front of the other, which would be disasterous emotionally and physically.

quote:

Originally posted by jcstac:
My husband has been on dialysis for over a year now and he has learned the correct and incorrect methods for care in the dialysis unit. However, as of late, there have been several incidents that have occurred that he has problems with. There was one incident in which another dialysis patient was allowed to touch my husbands machine(to stop it from beeping, due to high blood pressure) My husband complained to the rns on duty and was told it was ok, because the other patient "knew" how to do it. Well, I know how to do it and so does my husband, but it is not our place to take care of it. Also, he and his brother go to dialysis at the same place and same time. They were told they couldn't be on the same side of the center, due to possibly confusing medications etc. Well last week they were put on the same side, 3 chairs from one another. My husband has complained to the nurses and head nurse so much that he has alienated himself from them and he is treated with much disrespect. What can we do?

ESRD -- End-Stage Renal Disease Networks

Can answer my questions about:

Where to submit a complaint about the quality of care I received from my kidney dialysis facility.

Agency Name Toll-Free Phone Local Phone Espa�ol Tel�fono
Southern California Renal Disease Council, Inc. - Southern CA 1-800-637-4767 1-323-962-2020
Can answer my questions about:

Where to submit a complaint about the quality of care I received from my kidney dialysis facility.

Agency Name Toll-Free Phone Local Phone Espa�ol Tel�fono
TransPacific Renal Network - Northern CA 1-800-232-3773 1-415-472-8590

ESRD State Survey Agency

Can answer my questions about:

Complaints about the quality of care in dialysis facilities.

Agency Name Toll-Free Phone Local Phone Espa�ol Tel�fono
Licensing and Certification Program, California Department of Health Services 1-800-236-9747
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-800-735-2929 TTY 1-916-445-2070 1-916-324-0608

I work in a dialysis unit and I have seen patients press the button on the machines to stop it from beeping. ONLY the PCT (personal care technician) or nurse is allowed to do this. They are the ones that have received indepth training on the machines, not other patients. Also, I have heard another reason that relatives are not allowed on the same shift at the same time is because if one of them were to become ill/become unconscious requiring medical attention, this would be a traumatic situation for the other relative to witness. If you have complained in WRITING to the management of the clinic (clinical director AND regional director) and nothing has been done/changed to improve treatment, you always have the option of contacting your Network. The Network is the regulating authority of a group of dialysis clinics that are grouped by geographic location. They are named "Network 1", Network 9", etc. Find out the number of the network over your clinic and contact them in WRITING.
Patients are the master of their care. Patients should learn as much as they can about their treatment so that can be in a better position to protect themselves while in treatment. With cutting costs/staff, dialysis staff may at times forget to do the things they need to do to keep patients healthy; this is not an excuse, but a reality of healthcare in this Country. Did the staff wash their hands BEFORE they got to you? Did you get your nutritional supplement (if you have one rx'd)?, did they set your machine correctly? Bloodflow? Are they staffed appropriately? Find out what the staff ratio to patient is and make sure there is enough staff for the number of patients. You always want the correct number of staff so that if an emergency comes up, the staff is able to take care of it without the care of other patients suffering.

quote:

Originally posted by jcstac:
My husband has been on dialysis for over a year now and he has learned the correct and incorrect methods for care in the dialysis unit. However, as of late, there have been several incidents that have occurred that he has problems with. There was one incident in which another dialysis patient was allowed to touch my husbands machine(to stop it from beeping, due to high blood pressure) My husband complained to the rns on duty and was told it was ok, because the other patient "knew" how to do it. Well, I know how to do it and so does my husband, but it is not our place to take care of it. Also, he and his brother go to dialysis at the same place and same time. They were told they couldn't be on the same side of the center, due to possibly confusing medications etc. Well last week they were put on the same side, 3 chairs from one another. My husband has complained to the nurses and head nurse so much that he has alienated himself from them and he is treated with much disrespect. What can we do?

Contact the local newspaper..no quality facility would want to read about a patient complaint in the news.

I'm having a terrible time with abusive techs. Last year, I had pointed out that I didn't want to be taken off early any more so they could go home sooner. Now, I suffer each tx from continued harassment & abuse from these women. I've talked to the supervisors, but they have turned a deaf ear to my pleas. They claim that they don't have enough staff. Other patients are frightened as well.
I'm trying to get into another unit. I hope I'm doing the right thing. The stress is harming me further & I can't take this particular dialysis environment.

You have three choices: call the police and file an assault and battery charge, sue them or move to another unit. Document the abuses. The doctors/company have a responsbility to hire competent staff and manage them properly.

Thank you for the reply about what to do about abusive techs. I did talk to the police & they said that they couldn't do anything until these gals started to beat me. Fortunately, I'm going to a different unit as of next week! Keep me in your prayers!

quote:

Originally posted by jcstac:
My husband has been on dialysis for over a year now and he has learned the correct and incorrect methods for care in the dialysis unit. However, as of late, there have been several incidents that have occurred that he has problems with. There was one incident in which another dialysis patient was allowed to touch my husbands machine(to stop it from beeping, due to high blood pressure) My husband complained to the rns on duty and was told it was ok, because the other patient "knew" how to do it. Well, I know how to do it and so does my husband, but it is not our place to take care of it. Also, he and his brother go to dialysis at the same place and same time. They were told they couldn't be on the same side of the center, due to possibly confusing medications etc. Well last week they were put on the same side, 3 chairs from one another. My husband has complained to the nurses and head nurse so much that he has alienated himself from them and he is treated with much disrespect. What can we do?

In our clinic, if patients are related they cannot dialyze on the same day at the same time; they cannot be in the treatment room at the same time. This is to protect the other relative from becoming distraught in case something were to happen to the other relative. It would be a chaotic situation if one brother "coded" while the other brother was watching while 'he' was dialyzing...

Yes, keep complaining and KEEP DOCUMENTING dates, names of staff, what was said, what was done in response to your complaints. Then, complain to the Network and/or the Health Department. They are required to investigate. Ensure that you address verbally AND IN WRITING your concerns to the clinic director and also the regional director as this is what the Network would expect you do before they intervene. If the management does NOT make any changes to your satisfaction, then you can can show your documentation to the NEtwork and health dept DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!! PLEASE!
You could take notes while you are in your chair without letting any one know what you are doing. Keep standing up for yourself because it is YOUR health and it is YOUR RIGHT to receive quality health care. Yes, staff can complain, but it is common for their complaints not to be addressed. Also, staff can get awful tired of complaining when nothing is done, and they are also concerned of consequences of their management if they do complain. Remember, you can ALWAYS get a PETITITION signed by other patients in your clinic as well. Also, unfortunately, many clinics are "FOR PROFIT". Because of this, management is focused on PROFITS. Hope you get the quality you deserve.

quote:

Originally posted by jcstac:
My husband has been on dialysis for over a year now and he has learned the correct and incorrect methods for care in the dialysis unit. However, as of late, there have been several incidents that have occurred that he has problems with. There was one incident in which another dialysis patient was allowed to touch my husbands machine(to stop it from beeping, due to high blood pressure) My husband complained to the rns on duty and was told it was ok, because the other patient "knew" how to do it. Well, I know how to do it and so does my husband, but it is not our place to take care of it. Also, he and his brother go to dialysis at the same place and same time. They were told they couldn't be on the same side of the center, due to possibly confusing medications etc. Well last week they were put on the same side, 3 chairs from one another. My husband has complained to the nurses and head nurse so much that he has alienated himself from them and he is treated with much disrespect. What can we do?

wow, I am sorry you have to have this.. I understand, patients are at the mercy of the nursing staff and there is more abuse. It is sad that consumers have to feel frightened, but it is reality that some ppl in healthcare should not be working in healthcare... it is a control issue.. calling the statelicensing agency sometimes works, however, sometimes the surveyors are subjective and not objective enough...speka with your doctor about the abuse...

quote:

Originally posted by scared patient:
I'm having a terrible time with abusive techs. Last year, I had pointed out that I didn't want to be taken off early any more so they could go home sooner. Now, I suffer each tx from continued harassment & abuse from these women. I've talked to the supervisors, but they have turned a deaf ear to my pleas. They claim that they don't have enough staff. Other patients are frightened as well.
I'm trying to get into another unit. I hope I'm doing the right thing. The stress is harming me further & I can't take this particular dialysis environment.