patient
Joined: 29 Oct 2002
Posts: 137
Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2003 4:04 pm Post subject: Travel and the SW
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I would like to know the real truth as to why when I had to travel I was told by the other SW that she could not speak to me at all (wasn't their policy she said) and to have my SW call. My SW was the one who had told me to call and then I got this response. <
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>I think this would all depend on the honesty and skill of one's SW in making traveling plans. If the SW does as good a job as I would do making traving plans for myself and it is done as a service for me, then thats a valuble service. But if the SW is the type who plays around, doesn't listen carefully when I state my traveling plans, or is dishonest and misrepresents what I want in traveling plans, then naturally I dont want the SW representing me. <
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>This is our personal lives we are talking about here. We may be going for a much needed vacation. Or we may be going to a fundral or to see family we have missed seeing. I ONLY want the SW representng me if she is going to get the job done. Of course, sometimes there is nothing she can do about it if there are no openings and that is understandable.<
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>SWs can be very talented people who represent your wishes well or they can be neruotic types who create more problems. I would like to know the true reason why some units require the SW to make traveling arrangements and will not talk to the patient. No doubt it comes down to liability of some kind..that's what it usually is about.<
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>Personally, I found it very aggravating that the time I had to travel, my SW was making the arrangements and she kept coming back and forth to me while I was on the chair. When I'm on the chair and I'm not feeling well, that is not the time I want to make travelling arrangements. I wish SWs had a concept of this, but if they do something for us it is always at their conveinience, not ours.<
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>One other thing I do not like about the SW making travelling arrangements is it opens the door for her to invade my privacy outside of dialysis. My last SW was a nice person, but didn't understand that it is a
eech of confidentiality to go to patients while they are on the chair and say stuff out loud where everyone can hear like, "Oh so your're going to your Grandmother's funeral?". That's a patients private business and should not be
oadcast all throughout the unit. The SW's role, just like the roles of the other medical people, are too unprofessionally carried out.. just another way no standards in dialysis plays itself out.
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tedesa
Joined: 24 Jun 2003
Posts: 3
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 1:03 am Post subject: SW & travel
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Very honestly the reason why social workers, or other clinic staff may refuse to speak to patients about travel is nothing but ignorance. For all the reasons listed, it is just more efficient if the travel unit talks to the patient..it eliminates twelve different phone calls and reasons why social workers may need to "aggrevate" patients on their chair going back and forth about questions from travel units such as: well we do not have any openings on the 2nd shift [which is when you the patient tell the social worker you want to dialyze] can the patient come on the 1st shift? we have no openings on Mon/Wed/Fri can the patient come in Tues/Thurs/Sat? we have no openings at our unit on Main St can the patient travel 12 miles to our other unit that does have spaces? we don't have an opening on July 7 can the patient come 3 days later? we don't use the exact type of dialyzer that your clinic uses will the patient mind using a different dialyzer? this happens constantly when you call units about travelling.....and if the social worker is the one making the call, of course the social worker needs to then "bug" the patient ten million times about these different things that pop up constantly<
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>If units are not speaking directly to patients that is just stupid and social workers constantly try to educate other social workers about that. Social workers really cannot make any magic happen and make units take patients when they have no room- to be honest if I would ever be biased in any way [our unit always has room for travelling patients so this does not happen] I would be more inclined to try harder to find room if a patient themself called us for a spot as I could never tell a patient no but could tell a colleague sorry we have no room....for the patient I woudl try harder than for a fellow professional <
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>Social workers however should be expected to step in and do much more when a patient has an emergency [funeral, etc] as the patient does not have the luxury of choosing times, etc that is convenient for the patient as it is last minute notice and patient's obviously are in no state to be making phone calls, etc- social workers should and do help patients more when there is an emergency.
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Disgusted
Joined: 26 Jan 2003
Posts: 45
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2003 8:49 am Post subject: travel
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I would first try to contact another clinic in the area that you are visiting using
http://www.globaldialysis.com/ -or-
http://www.dialysisfinder.com/ then ask to speak to administrator to see if there was a opening. If the social worker or whomever is forcing you to go through your social worker, this would set off a red flag as to no you don't want to go there. Simply cross off your list and try the next. I have previously had social workers that could make good travel arrangements and others that were just plain lousy. Don't forget enough medication for your trip!
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Sick of it
Joined: 11 Feb 2003
Posts: 46
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2003 4:59 am Post subject: Thats right
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Go through the Administrator. If they will not talk to you about openings pick another clinic. I had to travel a lot on dialysis. If I let the SW make the plans, they were always messed up. The clinic was too far away, the time was the worst.<
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>They do not own us YOU ARE A PAYING CUSTOMER. Always remember that one thing.....<
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>Stay Healthy and Happy Trip
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aprnjam
Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Posts: 85
Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2003 6:28 pm Post subject: They all seem
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to forget one very important factor....they work for YOU!!! Your Medicare payments to the facility pays their salary, without them, they would have no job. They all need an attitude adjustment! Just my 2 cents worth.. again.
