Elderly Dialysis Patients do not derive benefit

[kidneydoc]

Hmm it seems as if one week after I clicked publish on my article on can you be too old for dialysis more information on the same topic has become available.

The plot thickens
http://www.allkidney.com/2009/10/older-dialysis-patients-may-not-derive-benefit-from-dialysis.html

[billybags]

I read your article with interest and I suppose you have to weigh up the pro's and cons. When my husband was in hospital in Rhodes Greece they had just put a PD catheter into a guy who was 82. He looked so poorly, had a little dementuer and I thought "why do this at that age" He lived with his elderly wife on a small island and a nurse was going to have to go in 4 times aday to sort him out. I dont know!

[Rerun]

It is usually left up to the family and they can't let poor Grandma go.  Yet, they are too busy to stop and see her or help her out or god forbid stay with her at dialysis.  I think it is up to the doctors to stress that dialysis would be more 'harm' than good to an aging relative who cannot think or speak for themselves.

If Grandma is 92 and wants dialysis and understands the process then that is a different story. 

To me if you don't know your are even at dialysis, then you don't know or understand why you feel bad. 

My understanding is kidney failure is not a bad death.  Your toxins build up and you go to sleep and never wake up.
                                       

[kidneydoc]

hmm yes letting go is hard. I dont know what I would do. I agree the person with the least emotional investment (the doctor) should counsel properly.

Which brings to mind the ethics of dialysis in the reimbursement model that currently exist. Maybe a separate person equally detached should be the one to receive the report from the doctor and then discuss things with the patients family I dunno this is a tough one. It works in england i understand but not so well in the US.

[Rerun]

In the U.S. dialysis is paid for by the government, so if the person has a pulse they put them on diaysis because it is a pay check.  Sad.

[talker]

Hmm it seems as if one week after I clicked publish on my article on can you be too old for dialysis more information on the same topic has become available.

The plot thickens
http://www.allkidney.com/2009/10/older-dialysis-patients-may-not-derive-benefit-from-dialysis.html

Now at 88 years of age, it's not a matter of to old or nor for dialysis.    But purely a matter of are you the patient aware or not of what is taking place.
As was mentioned in the posts above, if the patient is not aware at any time, of what is taking place, perhaps it is time to wrap it all up.
The one in my family with the authority to apply my decisions, has my written instructions on how and what to do.

talker