Clinic Visitors

[Mizar]

  My Husband, went into Renal Failure and within Three Weeks, was on Dialysis, for the rest of His Life.
  He was in the Hospital for 35 Days and no one was Allowed in the Dialysis Unit.
  It was in a Hospital Setting and I understood that.
  When He was released from the Hospital, he was sent to a Dialysis Clinic, about Thirty Miles from our Home.
  The Staff was so Nice and Everyone was invited back into the Unit, to Talk to Their Patients, ( not set with them
  for Four Hours....Who would want to do that)  but they could go back and speak to them, Even the Dietitian
  at the Unit, pulled up a Chair for Himself and I , while we Talked to my Husband who was doing his Dialysis.
  Now my Husband is in a Unit, much closer to Home. I needed to give Him a Message last Week and stopped
  by the Dialysis Clinic,  When the Receptionist, came out to see what I wanted, I told her I needed to speak to
  my Husband for just a Moment. She said, " That's not Allowed under HEPA  Rules " Okay, I understand that.
  Also, no Cell Phones are Allowed. She said, " Here's a Pen and Paper, if you want to write a Note and I will take
  it to Him "  I Wrote Him the Note and she took it too Him, but as soon as she Walked Away, I left.
  I have been Married to this Man for 38 Years. I felt like I was Passing Notes in High School.
  I didn't want to Walk around the whole Clinic. I just wanted to speak to Him. I understand the Rules, but it
  made me feel like, I was being shut out , from His Disease.
  Do other Clinics allow Vistors?  We are New to this.
 
 

[flip]

Mine does not allow visitors but cell phones are okay.

[Jill D.]

Mine allowed visitors. Some patients had their spouse sit with them for entire runs quite frequently. The staff was always friendly to visitors; I think they felt if it helped the patient it was a good thing.

[JasonEb]

Mine allows visitors as long as it is not during turnover (when patients are getting taken off and put on).

Perhaps that's when you showed up?

In my experience if someone at the unit says something that seems hokey or not right, ask to see it in writing. 

Another option is to buy a pair of bullhorns and talk to him from the parking lot.  I bet they'd let you visit him then!  Or perhaps have you arrested...

~Jason E.

[okarol]

Jenna's unit asked people to step out when they were putting patients on or off. Otherwise visitors were tolerated (there was not any extra seating so it wasn't really encouraged.) Some family members stayed the entire 4 hours, but most did not.
Here's a related thread http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=264.0
If it were me I would ask to see a copy of the HEPA rules. And I would also contact the unit manager and ask if coming in for a short stay, less that 5 minutes or so, is permitted.
Does your hubby have a cell phone with text messaging? They don't want people talking on them, but usually there's no rule about texting.
Every clinic is different and I am sorry but it sounds like yours is not very flexible. I don't think I would have been able to abide by those restrictions. We are their customers, and I think they make rules for their own convenience, not the patients. Is there a chance you could find another unit? Sorry you have to go through this, it sucks.

[thegrammalady]

i've used 3 clinics and ALL allowed visitors and cell phones and eating. there is at least 1 wife, girl friend or mother at each clinic every time i am there. and hepa rules have nothing to do with visitors, that's a bald faced lie. (it's actually hippa and it is a federal law that has to do with release of information in other words what the dialysis center can say and who they can say it to) talk to the clinic manager or the managers boss.

[kevno]

Visitors can stop 10 - 20 Min's at our unit then have to leave, which is OK renal patients when on the manchine usually want to be quiet. A lot  of patients try to go to sleep. Apart from one patients who as 3 vistors around him all the time whilst on dialysis. He is a prisoner from the local jail. Pus one of the guards is cuffed to him whilst on the machine.

[Roadrunner]

Each clinic seems to have their own rules.  Nothing to do with HEPA.  His first clinic let in visitors, no children.  This clinic always had the tech and nurses doing something, no standing around or disappearing on breaks.  There were some visitors who stayed most of the treatment and those who came the last 5 minutes to pick up someone.

In our next clinic it depended on which nurse was on duty.  With one nurse anything goes, the second would not let you stay during put on and take off.  I agree with the others, it is not a HEPA rule, but I know if you have a catheter the nurses put on a mask and I can see that there may be a rule of no visitors during take on and off.

[Bajanne]

As many others have said, the only restriction is when the patient is being taken off or put on.  We have a prisoner who is on my shift and his area has a revolving door!!!!  So many people visit him!
I only just noticed that Kevno has a prisoner with lots of visitors too.  Our prisoner is not cuffed to a warden.  He just has handcuffs when he arrives and when he leaves.

[BigSky]

It really depends on how clinics want to follow HIPPA.

HIPPA does pertain to anyone who can release information about someone.  Being that visitors can potentially see someone in a center and they rely that information to someone else which then puts the clinic in violation of HIPPA. 

At the pharmacy people used to just line up to get their medications.  Now because of HIPPA we must stand at least 10 feet behind the first person getting medication so that no one might see or hear what the exact medication is the person is getting.

[Lori1851]

I can go in and sit with Dustin and they also said Jasmine his gf can too. When Dustin was in teh hospital he was in ICU so they brought the machine to his room and I stayed in their along with some of Dustin's friends. I guess its up to your dialysis center.

Lori/Indiana

[petey]

It really is up the clinic.  At the clinic where Marvin was for over 12 years, they allowed very, very few visitors (I was the exception).  The first six months he was on, I sat beside him every treatment for the whole time.  Then, he got more independent and drove himself.  If I happened to carry him (as I did often in the summer time when I was out of school), the clinic didn't have a problem if I asked to go back.  I stayed as long as I wanted, and often "visited" with the other patients, too.   We traveled some while he was in-center, and some clinics allowed visitors the whole time with every patient, some didn't allow any visitors AT ALL, and some fell inbetween.  I did keep a mask in my pocket for the on/off of patients with caths (even when Marvin was using a graft or fistula).

[Ang]

visitors  are  fine  as  long  as  it  not  during  times  when  your  coming  on  and  off