How safe are you during Dialysis?????

[Hazmat35]

As much as we all HATE DIALYSIS; and go through the whole phobia w/ needles and fluid retention, diet restrictions, watching phosporus, etc; I had a thought on Monday, that sort of hit too close to home and I wondered if anyone else thought of it. 

Anyway, our center, has a "typical" sliding window in the reception area between the patients and staff, and it is hardly ever closed, and never locked.  We have one door going into Treatment that is always locked, and one door going into the offices, that is sometimes locked and kept open.  Also, we have a rear door that the employees use that is ALWAYS unlocked. 

I ask you this because Monday, the PAWN store across the street was robbed at gunpoint at 4:00 PM.  The thugs held all the employees and customers at gunpoint and cleaned out the registers and jewelry cases (no, they did not catch them).  Anyway, my thoughts are that if some "thug" gets it in his head, that there are DRUGS available; what is to stop them from coming in after us.  Between us, WE KNOW that there aren't usually DRUGS that they would want, but they don't know that. 

I mean, what is to stop them from opening up the doors or climbing in through the window when it is unattended @ 6:00PM when the staff is slap happy from working 14 hours already, and not paying attention.  It makes me sick to think of the kind of thing that could happen.  So please . . . make sure your center has it's doors secured.  This is a crazy world, and a lot of crazy people in it. 

[Whamo]

I would think that most thugs would see dialysis patients, and just walk away, thinking there's no money here.  They might also want to avoid a dialysis center because there are too many witnesses on the scene.  I also don't think most addicts are looking for a fix of blood pressure or diabetes drugs.  If there was opiates at your center it would be an entirely different story.

[AnnieB]

You can bring this up with the staff at the center, I would think, since it seems to me you have legitimate cause for concern. Especially since you had a robbery across the street.

Anne

[Mr Pink]

Crikey! If I ever make it to the wild, wild, west, I'll be sure to be wearing a bullet-proof vest at all times!

[Rerun]

I have had the thought of disgruntled employees.  We have had a few and they don't change the locks and like your center.... doors are not locked. 

[CW]

That's when you join the ihd militia ...
This is a major concern for those of us that do noctournal ... I get out around 2am to 4 am and our clinic hasn't kept reliable security so most days no one is watching the dark parking lot when we leave.

This is compounded by shootings accross the street and car burglaries in our parking lot. Low bp and weak and tired from treatment leave us vulnerable prey to punks seeking an easy score.

Mention it to the clinic manager and ask if they can use some low or no cost common sense protocols to improve patient safety

[KatieV]

My center has a sign on the front door: No Prescription Drugs Stored Here.  I don't know how effective that would be if someone was high on drugs and looking for their next score.

[Hazmat35]

I would think that most thugs would see dialysis patients, and just walk away, thinking there's no money here.  They might also want to avoid a dialysis center because there are too many witnesses on the scene.  I also don't think most addicts are looking for a fix of blood pressure or diabetes drugs.  If there was opiates at your center it would be an entirely different story.

What you are saying is true.  But, someone on the "outside" who doesn't know what goes on in there, and what type of meds are stored and used may not give THAT a second thought.  If I didn't do Dialysis, I wouldn't have a clue what type of meds they used, and I doubt that they would research it first. 

[Simon Dog]

The dialysis center I use has a strict no guns policy, and even has a sign on the front door (image of a gun with the red circle/slash over it), so I know I am safe.

[mamagemini]

We have a coded button to get in and the back is locked up. only thing is no one asks "who is it" when they open the back door!

[sullidog]

Yeah the sliding glass windows, I wonder if all of them even have locks on them? Most doors to the actual clinick I've either seen where the staff has to have a key to get in or some of them even have codes that you have to punch in to get the door to open.

[Riki]

My dialysis unit is in a hospital, so it's not like there wouldn't be people there.  There has been times, though, coming in in the morning, the door is locked, and someone has to call the nurses to get someone to let us in.

There also isn't anything around the hospital, like homes or businesses.  It's pretty much on it's own, so there wouldn't be anyone just wandering in.

The old unit was in the basement of a nursing home that was kinda in the woods by itself as well, and I doubt anyone would want to break into the basement of a nursing home