Not all dialysis centers are the same and their rules and procedures can vary. The willingness of the dialysis center staff to address these questions will give you a good idea of the level of customer service you can expect to get.
- Can I visit the center before beginning dialysis?
- What is the process for the first treatments?
- How many stations (chairs) are there and how many shifts?
- What shift can I expect to get? What if I have school or a job?
- Can patients eat or drink while being treated?
- Are TVs shared or individual?
- Is there free Wi-Fi?
- Are visitors allowed during treatment?
- How do you handle holiday scheduling?
- What if I need to modify my schedule? How do I arrange this and who do I contact?
- Who is the operating manager? What is their background? Are they a caregiver, RN, RD, MSW, etc. or a corporation?
- What precautions are taken to make sure I don’t get someone else’s disease or an infection?
- How many RNs are there per shift?
- How many techs? What is their training/certification?
- Who will be cannulating (nurse or techs?)
- Do you have trainees cannulating patients? Are patients informed of this and given a choice?
- Do you encourage and teach self-cannulation?
- Are patients taught how the dialysis machines work?
- Can I get a copy of my monthly lab slips?
About the Author
Karol Franks lives in Southern California. She is married and a mother of 4. Her 24 year old daughter received a kidney from an altruistic donor in Jan. 2007, and as a result Karol became an advocate for patients and living donors. She serves as an administrator for www.livingdonorsonline.org – an online community for living organ donors, potential donors, their families, and medical professionals. She also volunteers as an administrator for ihatedialysis.com, a patient support forum for patients and their families as they cope with living with kidney disease.
04/01/2011
Web ID 392
