4 Serious signs your dialysis center is failing
you
And 4 Things Every Patient Should Know About Dialysis Facilities
It’s poorly staffed and you feel rushed
Good dialysis facilities require good staff. They should be experienced, friendly and helpful.
There should be at least one full-time registered nurse.
Be wary if your facility schedules five or six patients per day. This stretches resources and leads to tired, stressed and overworked staff.
Some patients have even reported being allowed to soil themselves rather than pause treatment.
There are no staff limits in US dialysis facilities.
Many facilities are staffed by technicians, who only require a high school diploma and in-center test to start work.
Did you know?
Henry baer - technicians gone wrong
39-year-old Henry Baer was attending a Fresenius centre when his incoming bloodline disconnected.
The technician supervising panicked, “yelling and screaming hysterically”. Against medical guidance, he then reattached the catheter, allowing potentially contaminated blood to return to Baer’s body.
Two days later, Baer had a convulsion. Hospital tests showed that his catheter had become infected, and the infection had spread to his brain and heart. He died two days later, leaving his wife and two-month-old daughter.
Fresenius declined to comment, but settled wrongful death suit with his family.
It’s not clean, or your nurse doesn’t change
gloves often
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infection is the 2nd leading cause of death in dialysis patients.
The Atlantic studied 1,500 clinics around the US between 2002 and 2009. They found filthy or unsafe conditions in just under half.
There are no staff limits in US dialysis facilities.
Many facilities are staffed by technicians, who only require a high school diploma and in-center test to start work.
Did you know?
Bessemer Kidney Center
In May 2013, the Fresenium-owned Bessemer Kidney Center was cited for failing to follow infection guidelines.
In the inspection report, it was noted that the registered nurse “removed the old dressing and began cleaning and applying a new dressing to the catheter inspection without changing gloves.”
The inspector then found that the same patient had previously been hospitalized with a catheter infecion.
The Bessemer Center was closed following the inspection in May, and reopened at the end of June.
It’s Failing Inspections
Medicare insist that all dialysis facilities are inspected at least once ever three years, although a 2009 study showed that one in ten centers hasn’t been inspected in at least five years.
Medicare can demand that facilities that fail to meet government standards submit a correction plan.
Facilities can be terminated from Medicare, but this is very rare to prevent hindreing access to care. Between 2000 and 2008, only 16 facilities were banned.
James McMurry – Failed Inspections
66-year-old James McMurry took a regular blood thinner before dialysis treatment.
In 2007, nurses discovered that his blood flow was too slow, and administered a clot dissolving medication.
Hours after returning home, James’ neighbor heard him banging on the wall. Paramedics found him slumped in a chair, vomiting.
James had suffered a devastating brain haemorrhage, and had slipped into an irreversible coma by the time his family got to him.
Doctors denied authorizing the medication, and the center was closed.
You Feel Isolated
Is your facility supportive?
Dialysis can be scary, but most facilities have plenty of support options in place. These can include a social worker, dietician, exercise classes and relaxation classes.
If your facility does not encourage communication between patients, or does not share news or inspection results, it could be underperforming.
Larry Hall – A Question Too Far
51-year-old Larry Hall had attended a DaVita facility in North Carolina for over nine years when he received a letter cancelling all future treatments immediately.
DaVita included a ‘helpful’ list of other centers Larry could use, none of which were DaVita. The closest was 50 miles away.
Larry’s treatment was cancelled after he challenged clinic managers on the facilities performance.
Hall won a $10,000 jury award against DaVita.
