NxStage initial interview

[CebuShan]

Today I go for the initial interview to start my training for NXStage! I'm so excited!    
 They still have to come do the home evaluation.
How long does it usually take from initial interview to actual training to begin?
Anything special I need to know to prepare my house?

[stringbandbeth]

Weird, We started Training w/ NX stage as soon as we decided to try home hemo.Hubby was in the hospital getting D through an emergency neck line. I stopped by the PD clinic to drop off paperwork and asked if there was anyone around who knew about Nx Stage. The nurse did a whole treatment set up with the pureflo right then and there so I could see the system. We started training as soon as he was out of the hospital. He only had to go in-center for less than 2 weeks.  Don't remember any interview or home visit before hand but he was on PD @ the same clinic for 12 years so maybe interview/ home eval. was not required.....As for the house, They are not looking for a showplace and It doesn't matter if the laundry's not folded. Make sure the room you plan to do treatment is clean and has access to a sink(it doesn't have to be in the same room) . Make sure your epo and insulin are in the fridge. And designate a place to store your supplies. Had a nurse on a home visit look in the medicine cabinet once so make sure there are no VISIBLE expired meds that day.
             Because Bear is on D for the rest of his life  I had a plumber friend put a washing machine drain and water line in our treatment room so that there were not lines running down my hall . Also removed the carpet in that room and put in a easy to wash floor. No matter how careful you are there will be blood.
     Maybe you should tell them you are anxious to start training asap. I don't see why they would have to wait for a home visit first.
     Good Luck!
     

[cattlekid]

That seems weird that you would have to go through the home visit and interview just to start training.  But come to think of it, I had my home visit before I started training just because I had to wait until they had a chair open in their training unit. 

I agree, your house does not need to be a showplace.  During my home visit, I had tables set up in my family room from a dinner the night before.  But everything was put away other than the tablecloths and the extra chairs so we were able to sit at a clean table and go through the home visit.  The nurse never looked around much because we were in the room where I was going to be doing my treatment and everything she needed to see was pretty much visible from where we were sitting.  The biggest fight I had with her was the fact that I had to start stocking paper towels....we were trying to be as eco-friendly as possible and I had stopped using paper towels and started using cloth instead.  She said not good enough, need paper.  Ugh - I acquiesced.  But we still only use paper towels for dialysis handwashing - everything else is cloth.

[lmunchkin]

We just signed up for training (we did PD training there too) and we knew everybody, so it was easy to start with them.  The training, I found a little difficult and hard at first, but after a few weeks we were home.  The only time they did a home inspection, was when they came to hook up everything for NxStage.  That was it.

Now recently, they are telling me that Medicare requires that they go to the home ever so often to observe the area around Dialysis.  I just don't worry about it.  The clinics do not want to lose their customers, I assure you!  Just keep place a little neat & clean.  Shouldnt be a problem.

God Bless,
lmunchkin

[stringbandbeth]

Most of the time you will end up w/ your nurse having to make a home visit at least once or twice a year to deal with issues/emergencies/machine programming anyway and they usually sign off on the home inspection thing then. Never actually had a visit just for an inspection.

[rocker]

Hmmm.  Most of five years here, and the only home visit was for the initial setup.  We even moved in that time, and did the whole setup at the new place ourselves.  The only thing we needed to do was have the new water (well) tested.

  - rocker

[M3Riddler]

Today I go for the initial interview to start my training for NXStage! I'm so excited!    
 They still have to come do the home evaluation.
How long does it usually take from initial interview to actual training to begin?
Anything special I need to know to prepare my house?

Never heard of or had an interview when I started NxStage... Please let us know any details about the interview as Im sure many would like to know.    I can see them making sure your home is clean, but I have never heard of any type of interview, even for PD and Certainly not for In-Center...

///M3R

[chiawana]

When my husband expressed interest in doing home hemo, the HHD nurse came to talk to both of us while he was in-center, and she and the doctor made the decision as to whether we were good candidates. She told me later she knew right away that we would be great, lol. She came over to our house to have us sign some paperwork and mostly just look at the plumbing access and where we planned to store supplies (we have a basement, so that was no problem). She's been here numerous times since!! She is fabulous and has helped us so much.  Before her first visit she said all she wanted to see was our space and if there were rat turds on the floor, lol. Otherwise she doesn't seem concerned if I have dirty dishes in the sink or laundry unfolded. We were able to drill holes in the floor and have our water access and drain lines through the basement. She's been here so many times and watched me get him "on," she knows we're keeping it all clean and as sterile as we can through the process.

[CebuShan]

We went for the interview. We both feel it was a waste of time. We were there for less than a half hour (After driving almost two hours!) Basically she asked us if we were both committed to doing this then had us sign some papers. She showed us the set-up and gave us a bottle and instructions for testing the water and sending it off.
She is coming out on Wednesday, Aug. 29 for the home inspection and for them to install a plug-in for the unit. My landlord has already said it's okay with him.
We start actual training on September 10th. Two weeks down there then 1 week with them coming up here. Then we are leaving for Wisconsin for my transplant evaluation! Busy, busy, busy!