DialysisEthics2_Forum
Other => Historical Posts => Topic started by: admin on September 28, 2009, 05:48:38 PM
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Anne
Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 7
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 11:25 am Post subject: My Search for a Quality Unit
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I have been looking for refferals to a quality unit. Does anyone know the number of dialysis units in the U.S.? I would like to be able to find at leaste 25 top units out of what I'm guessing is a thousand or more units. So far I've only gotten less than half a dozen recomendations. Surely there must be more quality units out there. Can anyone give me suggestions on units or on where to find information? I am not favborable to the govt. Dialysis Compare as numerous people have told me their unit was listed in there and made to look like a great unit when it wasn't at all. I would rather talk to patients and staff who have actual experience with a unit and can give me a first hand account of their unit. Any ideas where I can begin?
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leadsag
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 1:08 pm Post subject: What area
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What area of the US are you in? Are you willing to relocate in order to get treatment at a 'better' dialysis unit? <
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>You can use the CMS Dialysis Unit compare to find the locations of units. A Google(Google.com) search for Dialysis units will get you to the Nepron website www.esrdnetworks.org/Units.htm<
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>Hope that help you<
>
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leadsag
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 1:10 pm Post subject: WhereDialysis.com
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You might try this sight also WhereDialysis.com
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Anne
Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 7
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 4:30 pm Post subject: quality dialysis
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leadsag,<
>I have the opportunity to relocate to anywhere in the country. My family will get me there. What I am asking is, how can I find patients or staff who can give me personal recomendations? I can find the location of the units, but what I desire are personal recomendations. Out of the few recomendations I have gotten so far, several are in extremely high income areas, so I'm not left with much to choose from. <
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>It is frustrating that this info. is so difficult to find. There must be a way to find out where the quality units are. I hope someone has some ideas.
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SOI
Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2003 5:48 pm Post subject: Finding Clincs
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Anne,<
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>May I suggest that you look in our post's about a month or so ago we were trying to compile a list of clinic's that provide home HEMO. You could start your search there.<
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>Also, you will find a greater choice of clinics in major metropolitan areas. Look for clinics that offer non-reuse first. For if a clinic is willing to give a patient a new filter every treatment than they may have an attitude for a healthier patient.<
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>Additionally, Call the clinics ask for the head nurse or the social worker and prepare a list of questions to ask such as: Do you offer non-reuse, home HEMO, CAPD, ( the more treatment modalities they offer the more patient oriented they will be). Additionally, if you are feeling poorly ask a family member to help with the calling and devise a list of questions. Such as, number of nurses to patiens, training program for tech., how may shifts a day, average length of treatment (the longer the better), How many doctors participate at this clinic and how often are they there? How many TV's do they have and what is the age of the chairs, (I found if they are willing to give some back in the way of comfort to the patients than they tend to be interested in the total well being of the patients). It all so helps if the clinic is near a major hospital, it attracts more doctors. The more doctors the less likely to have a God figure dictating from his pocket instead of his heart.<
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>Once you have located some you will need to go and dialyze there for a week the first time and longer the next. Meet with the doctor and the nurse practitioner to see if there are any personality conflicts. Don't be afraid to ask questions. While there talk to the patients they will tell you what is going on and who is the best doctor there. <
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>I had to move across the state three times while on dialysis. I do understand how frightening and frustrating this is but you can find some good clinics if you try hard.<
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>I hope this helps a little and wish the best of health for you.<
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>Let us hear from you on how you are doing.<
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> Forever, Sick of it
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leadsag
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 12:57 am Post subject: fat cats
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I find it interesting, in one on the other discussions on here there was a discussion of fat cats winning. Then you say "Out of the few recomendations I have gotten so far, several are in extremely high income areas." <
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>Guess the fat cats get better dialysis also. Another way they win.
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Anne
Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 7
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 8:07 am Post subject: How to find a good unit
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Sick of It,<
>Thanks so much for all the good suggestions. One thing I can not do is go to units to try them out before we relocate. Don't have the financial ability to do that. Our goal is to locate a top unit and then move to that city even if we have to move out of state a very long distance. This is why I have been hoping to find more personal recomendations from patients or staff. <
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>Also, we hope to find a pleasant community, do not desire to live in a heavily populated city with high traffic. Want a nice sized city, not too big or too small, with affordable housing, good job market, would be nice if it was not a freezing cold climate as I can hardly stand cold weather anymore.<
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>Without personal recomendations it would be diffictult for someone like me to
idge the gap and find the good units. If anyone can
ainstorm ways I could get more, personal recomendations that would be my greatest help. In the future, I'd like to help compile a list of the best units so others won't have to struggle in their seach when they want to relocate for the purpose of finding a quality unit.
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leadsag
Joined: 31 Oct 2002
Posts: 263
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2003 8:46 am Post subject: none
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Do not know if this will help any or not. The place I started dialysis was a non-profit center and I could not beleive the difference when I moved. The new unit took so many short-cuts, cared so little for the patient, makes it almost impossible to travel. The non-profit, you said I want to visit xxxxx and next treatment it was all set - so you could make your airline reservations or whatever other arrangements you needed to make. New unit they say call and see if you can get dialysis in XXXXX. You call, they say why isn't your social worker calling? You reply, the unit doesn't do that. Well sorry, we have no opening. I an 99% sure they probably do if the social worker would have called.<
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>The 'old' unit was at was connect to a church. Do not know if that made a difference in the quality of care or not.<
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>I dount any unit you contact will give you patient contacts because of the new HIPPA rules.
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Lin
Joined: 28 Oct 2002
Posts: 337
/>
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 12:47 am Post subject: Nice unit
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The unit I go to is far from perfect, but it's quite nice compared to lots of others. I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect unit, but there sure are lots that are on the bottom of the barrel! The one I go to is an FMC unit, but even so another within the same distance from my home and also FMC is the pits, so I guess it's a crap shoot. I doubt the affluence of an area makes a difference because the crappy unit is in a higher income area. Lin.
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Home Hemo
Joined: 23 Jun 2003
Posts: 22
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2003 11:05 am Post subject: Quality Unit
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Anne: Are you able to get into home dialysis? If so, you will receive better care than in any unit you can find. You will never do reuse, and you will have control over things are sterile. You will be able to dialyze when you want in a comfortable environment. If home hemo is possible for you, there is no better way to go.
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Should be
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2003 2:58 am Post subject: Social Worker to help assist for traveling
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It should be done by the SW. That is suppose to be the job that they do. They know your medical prescription and they would have to fax the information.<
>Sad to say, but with all the extras that they put on the SW's, they have been put in a postion of collecting money and transportation duty. A clerk would be able to do some of that.<
>But you are to have access to a SW, many companies share in a 50 mile range. <
>I would ask for their help and would state that you are having no sucess and they keep asking you where your SW is.
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Anne
Joined: 21 Jun 2003
Posts: 7
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2003 9:00 am Post subject: Hoping for more recomendations
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Thanks for everyones suggestions, but I'm feeling discouraged as I still don't have much to select from. This involves relocating my whole family so they can support me in getting quality dialysis. It means we must uproot ourselves and find a nice community. <
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>The main thing I need is recomendations from patients or staff who can assure us that a unit is quality and that the community ( housing, job market and traffic) is a good situation. I feel there must be enough choices out of the thousands of units, but where to find them is the question. From my experience of having a difficult time locating the quality units, I think it is so important to compile a future listing of the best units for those, who like me, must relocate to get quality dialysis.
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Why not
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2003 11:19 am Post subject: do it yourself
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If you want the best treatment you are going to have to do it yourself, in your house. It doesn't really matter where the house is, you just need a home program. There are many to choose from - I bet there is one in every state. What's the problem?
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To Anne
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 1
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2003 11:42 am Post subject: Home Hemo
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Anne,<
> It appears to me that the posters have given you an answer, you just don't see it.<
> There isn't a perfect unit out there and if you really do want the best then I do have to agree that home hemo, slow nocturnal is the answer. You can do that anywhere if you so choose. But you have to make that choice for yourself. Just being able to move anywhere in the U.S. is not a guarentee of good dialysis. Educate yourself. What is good for one person is not always good for another. You have been given the links to the 2 slow nocturnal programs in the U.S. Check them out.
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