ranting again about my center!

[sullidog]

I'm so so so sick of my dialysis center it just wants to make me quit dialysis altogether! I don't understand why when my treatments over I have to wait an hour to get off the machine. Seriously the techs here, whenever your time is up they will shut off your dialysis, then make you wait while they go chart someone, clean, check water etc. I am usually the last patient to leave so when I come off no one is there but me and the staff. I don't understand why they can't just do their charting while the patient is doing their post dialysis thing instead of make us all wait til god knows when. I'm not the only one that complains, most of the patients do. In fact I even got left once by my ride do to our slow a*** techs. They gotta understand people don't drive, well some of us don't and rely on transportation and those people have schedules of their own too! I understand that people have low bp, etc but they just sit around, talk and laugh and are not working on anyone when someone is waiting to be taken off. It would be different if they were but they aren't.
I keep getting denied center changes which I wanna do very badly but they keep making up excuses to keep me. I wish I could just privately go through my insurance company and they can pull me from that center without them knowing, then after I leave they can tell them why. My insurance keeps sending me letters to go to an in network center but my center refuses to let me leave. I'm about at my witts end here!

[KraigG]

I've never seen any of the techs charting or doing any paperwork at my center. I'm on the 4th shift (7 pm), and there are usually 10-12 patients, and 4 or 5 techs to service us. They're always running around, and I'm off within 5 min of ending. If I wasn't, I'd probably raise my voice so everyone in the center could hear me. I won't put up with crap like that.

[HILINE]

I'm so so so sick of my dialysis center it just wants to make me quit dialysis altogether! I don't understand why when my treatments over I have to wait an hour to get off the machine. Seriously the techs here, whenever your time is up they will shut off your dialysis, then make you wait while they go chart someone, clean, check water etc. I am usually the last patient to leave so when I come off no one is there but me and the staff. I don't understand why they can't just do their charting while the patient is doing their post dialysis thing instead of make us all wait til god knows when. I'm not the only one that complains, most of the patients do. In fact I even got left once by my ride do to our slow a*** techs. They gotta understand people don't drive, well some of us don't and rely on transportation and those people have schedules of their own too! I understand that people have low bp, etc but they just sit around, talk and laugh and are not working on anyone when someone is waiting to be taken off. It would be different if they were but they aren't.
I keep getting denied center changes which I wanna do very badly but they keep making up excuses to keep me. I wish I could just privately go through my insurance company and they can pull me from that center without them knowing, then after I leave they can tell them why. My insurance keeps sending me letters to go to an in network center but my center refuses to let me leave. I'm about at my witts end here!

how can they keep you from leaving?  this is AMERCA

[Desert Dancer]

I keep getting denied center changes which I wanna do very badly but they keep making up excuses to keep me. I wish I could just privately go through my insurance company and they can pull me from that center without them knowing, then after I leave they can tell them why. My insurance keeps sending me letters to go to an in network center but my center refuses to let me leave. I'm about at my witts end here!

What? How does THAT work? You're a customer (their word), not a prisoner. How exactly can they keep you from leaving? When I started dialysis I was discharged to a Fresenius clinic with private insurance. I made it clear to them from day one I wouldn't be there long because I was going home and training through a DaVita clinic.  Doesn't seem to me there's anything they can do about it. Make your arrangements with another clinic and GO! Your current clinic doesn't even have to be in the loop. I walked in on my last day and told them it was my last day.

[Cricket]

I'm on dialysis almost 3 months - and have 3 years worth of complaints about getting in and out of my center.  Due to our hurricane on Saturday, I was ordered to arrive at 12 noon instead of 3 for a short 3 hour session.  I was not seen until around 1 PM!!!!!! and then they expected me to stay until 4 PM.  NO WAY!!!!   Yesterday's session was also crappy.  My driver showed up 45 min. late.  Walked in, was to be done by 6:30 and got out 7:30.

I've had enough.

[Gandalf]

It really does seem to differ remarkably from Centre to Centre - I have dialysed in two different places and it was hugely different - at the first, we would wait for up to an hour and a half to get on the machine, and then there were endless delays.  Getting of was yet another soap opera.

At the second, the longest wait would be less than a few minutes - I could not believe it was the same process!  Perhaps the shift differs - the first time I wa on the last shift, and that shift always seems to absorb an entire day of latecomers and machine breakdowns and whatever else!
If you really cannot change Centres (which seems strange given that you are paying for a service!) then perhaps try to change shifts and see if it improves?
It must be hugely frustrating - I remember at the first centre, I got so furstrated after a 10 hour day at work, when I was confronted with a huge delay, that I burst into tears and left..... Not hugely mature, I know, but the entire D thing is just magnified when you have to sit and WAIT!  Hope it works out for you.

[sullidog]

I didn't know I thought my center had to be involved of me switching, so do I just contact that center and setup a schedule? Do I also have to notify my neph or will the new center do this?

[HILINE]

I didn't know I thought my center had to be involved of me switching, so do I just contact that center and setup a schedule? Do I also have to notify my neph or will the new center do this?

I would notify the old center just to piss them off

[daveosaurus]

I'd notify the old center and tell them EXACTLY why you're leaving in no uncertain terms. My center ticks me off too! They take way too much fluid off of  me and make me pass out. Not deliberately, just out of ignorance and carelessness. 

[jbeany]

I'd contact the center you want to go to.  I'm guessing they will do everything they can to help you make the switch.  Realistically, all you should have to do is arrange the new schedule, sign release forms so they can request your medical records from the old center, and call to officially cancel the first day you switch to the other center.  They will need to check that you are covered by insurance, of course.  And notify your neph - although you might want to talk to him first to see if he has worked with the new center, and if there will be any problem for him to continue your care there.

I'd do an end run around the current center, which seems to be giving you nothing but stall tactics.

[Desert Dancer]

I didn't know I thought my center had to be involved of me switching, so do I just contact that center and setup a schedule? Do I also have to notify my neph or will the new center do this?

My first week out of the hospital - in the Fresenius clinic - I simply called the DaVita at Home clinic and told them what I wanted. They had a little bit of a wait (one month) due to their training program being full, but in the meantime I filled out all the paperwork and met with the nurses. I started my training at DaVita on a Tuesday and the Saturday before it was my last day at the Fresenius clinic; when they took me off the machine I said, "Make sure you don't have me on the schedule Tuesday, today's my last day here". (It wasn't a complete shock to them, I'd given them the tentative date previously.)

Everything was handled from the new clinic's end - I didn't have to do anything involving my old clinic. Be aware, though, that you might not have the same neph; my new clinic used a different neph, but from the same practice.

[lmunchkin]

We switched because of our Priv. Insurance wasnt going to pay for the clinic we went to, but they did anyway, because it is a life & death situation!  I, too think it depends on the clinics.  The first one we went to was fantastic. Oh they might be a little running behind some days, but for the most part, they kept most everyone happy.  But the second clinic sounds just like the one Sulli goes to!  We got out of there after 1 month and trained to do NxStage at home!  So glad to be doing hubby at home.  He gets better dialysis, and we are in control of his care! 

Yea he had to do it 6 days a week, then he got down to 5, and for the last few weeks they approved him 3days on and 2 off! If his labs indicate he is not getting enough clearance, then I will pick up another day!  It is just that simple!  I love it at home and hated it at the Center.

lmunchkin   

[KraigG]

Been at my center nearly 6 months now. I've gotten to know all the techs and nurses (it's a 14 chair center), and I have no complaints. Most of the staff is from The Philippines, and they're all highly professional. Never any goofing around, everything is done on time.

I asked one of the techs about it one day, why they were so good, and other places so bad. They looked at me with big eyes, and exclaimed,"it's the manager!"

So if you get crappy service, look to your manager. What sort of example does he/she set?

[GraphicBass]

Yes, the manager is the key. The manager/charge nurse of the center I went to was an ex-Army ER charge nurse. She would seriously kick butt as needed. And I developed a reputation for going to said nurse if a tech started messing around. Pretty soon, only the good techs were assigned to me!

Of course, it helped that I had private insurance, and that I made it clear I'd get my nephrologist to order a clinic change if needed, which she agreed to do if necessary. Fortunately, there are a couple of dozen centers in my area (Atlanta).

You're the customer. Don't act like a patient!

gary

[Hazmat35]

I have nothing bad to say about my Center.  I've been going there over 1 1/2 years now and have been on the 3rd shift since day one.  I go in at 1:45 PM.   

Of course, I've had to wait sometimes for up to an hour, but, 95% of the time, they are ready when I walk in.  We have 16 chairs BTW.  The Techs are all really great at what they do and how they treat people.  I would NEVER want one of their jobs, however.  If you sit back and watch, there are a lot of people who treat the Techs with disrespect and give them attitude.  And they have to suck it up, and smile.  And at our center, they do just that!!!!! 

If you are having troubles or issues with your center, there are steps you can take.  Ask the facility administrator for a form to fill out, that will go directly to Medicare!!!!  They should have pamphlets and posters hanging up about how to file a grievance, and what to do.