Angry at my Unit.

[bette1]

A couple of weeks ago my unit played musical chairs and moved everyone around.  About that time they started calling me back later and later, sometimes 20 minutes late.  I was pretty pissed about it but I try to be polite, so I asked them about it today and they said that they would check my time. 

According to their records they had changed my time to 10:30 and had not told me.  WTF?  I know they other patients times are later than mine but they come in super early because they have rides so they take them first.  I drive myself, so I tend to come when they tell me to come.  I can't believe that they wouldn't tell me the right time. 

I got there at 9:45 for my 10am treatment, and was not finished till 2:30.  I only run 3:15.  I just feel like the workers in the unit do not feel like our time is important.  I have many other things to do other than wait around for for them.  I can understand that things happen to make things run late, but changing my time by 1/2 an hour and not telling me is ridiculous!

 

[Jean]

Boy, that sure is ridiculous.!!!!

[cloud393]

I agree.  They could have the courtesy to inform you, make sure it's okay.  Maybe you'd like to spend that half hour doing something else besides waiting for them.     I'd let em' have it.

[KICKSTART]

At least you have a time ! At our unit its a free for all ! We all arrive at the same time and its a race to get to your place ! The amount of times i have had to stand by my bed and wait for up to an hour to be put on is a joke (the favourites get put on first) So now i go in earlier and if my machine is ready get put on ..till the other day ..when on of the sisters said ..why are you in here now ? I said so i can get on and get off, my machines ready , there is a nurse to do it ..and you know how busy i am right now. So im now waiting for them to refusing to let me in (we are only talking 15 mins early) If thats the case they are there till 7 so i will wander in around 2.45 and make sure they are there till 7 ! Now officially we are let in at 1.30 but it can be 2.30 before im on my machine !

[Rerun]

Clinics are a one way street.  If you were a 1/2 hour late they would cut your time, but if they put you on a 1/2 hour late it is not big deal. 

I have to admit my clinic does get me in and out in a timely manner.

[billybags]

As KS says it is a free for all and the more dominant patients gets on first. My husband had a line in his neck same as KS and that takes two nurses to do that, so  they would put on the others first . it is unfair not to tell you they have altered your time.

[Ken Shelmerdine]

As KS says it is a free for all and the more dominant patients gets on first. My husband had a line in his neck same as KS and that takes two nurses to do that, so  they would put on the others first . it is unfair not to tell you they have altered your time.

Thats strange it taking two nurses. When I had lines it only took 1 nurse same as patients with fistulas.

[billybags]

Ken, they must be more cleverer in Stockport. Ha Ha

[thegrammalady]

considering they have now idea what you do on any given day, go to the nurse manager and tell her the change in schedule has made you late in fulfilling your other obligations of the day and you don't appreciate their lack of courtesy. it's none of her business what else you might have scheduled in a day. all she needs to know is that dialysis isn't the only thing.

[hotnspicyazgirl]

On Monday my unit got me on 45 minutes LATE! I just make them take it off of my time....It is their problem, not mine. I have a life, I have things to do, and I have a scheduled time to be there. I am ALWAYS there at least 15 early from my scheduled time, they have NO excuse.
It really aggravates me that they think I have no life outside of that damn place. Grrrrrr

[Darthvadar]

Grrrrrrrr!!!!!....

Oh Folks.... This is my biggest bugbear with healthcare providers in general...

Doctors, Hospitals, Dentists, etc (with a few honourable exceptions!) seem to be posessed of this institutional arrogance that says that the time of the instution, and that of the clinician is very vitally important, and terribly valuable, but that of the paiient is of absolutely no consequence!!!...

The number of times that Mum and I have sat at Outpatient clinics where her appointment has been 9am, and we're STILL waiting at 12 noon!... Or the occasions when we've turned up for appointments only to find that the clinic has been cancelled without letting us know... Or the times that the clinician doesn't bother turning up for appointments... I had one guy (Oral Medicine professor) leave the hospital without seeing me after I'd waited four hours because he was in theatre when I arrived at my appointment time!....

And I've been through the whole battle for Mum to keep her 7am to 11am slot on Tuesdays and Fridays... She was being put under DREADFUL pressure to change to 3pm to 7pm... The whole thing was dreadful... Then she being what I could only describe as, bullied mercilessly to change from Tuesday to Monday to accomodate a person who wanted Tuesdays... Tuesdays suited us... Our Home Help was only available on Mondays... She was constantly being told that she was being 'unreasonable'... I won't tell you what I told the Centre Manager to do with himself... It's not repeatable in polite company!... What really annoys me is that for a year, we'd been asking for a change of days for Mum... She wanted to go back to her Senior Citizen's Day Care Centre on Fridays, and wanted to change to Saturdays... No chance!!!... That's why I got so fed up... When the clinic said 'Jump', they wanted Mum to say 'How High?', but when she wanted some flexibility, we met with a brick wall!!!...

Then this idiot of a 'Manager' threatened to change Mum's day with or without our consent... That got my blood up, I needn't tell you!!!... I told him that I'd do three things if he took that course of action...

1. I'd be getting in touch with Mum's Neph. to tell him why Mum was stopping dialysis...

2. I was going to picket the clinic to let any other patients know what they were likely to come up against...

And 3, I was going to contact the media and go screaming blue murder about how this organisation treated vulnerable, frail, older ladies... He didn't believe me... He thought I was bluffing until I slid my phone accross his desk and let him see the numbers for several of the highest profile journalists in the country (amazing the contacts you make when you're a long time volunteer with a social justice charity!)... He backed down pretty quickly!... Can't think why!.... As I've said before, I'm not known as That B***h in The Wheelchair for nothing!!!..

This makes me so angry... You have to constantly do battle... I appreciate that they do a difficult job... But that's what they're getting paid for... They're not doing us any favours...

If it doesn't suit you to change your time, stand your ground.... You're the customer, you're paying for it (either through taxation, direct payments, or insurance premiums), so let them know (in the nicest way possible) that you're not to be pushed around...

Love to all....

Darth....

[galvo]

Good onya, Darth!!

[jbeany]

Go Darth!

One of the other blogs I read had a post about docs making you wait for hours on end.  The guy finally got fed up and went back to the reception desk and demanded a refund on his copay so he could leave.  They hadn't a clue how to give it to him - no one had ever done it before!  Maybe we all need to do that more often- only the bottom line seems to affect their thinking!

bette, you need the big stick for sure!   

[Darthvadar]

Thanks Jbeany and Galvo....

It just gets my goat when people who are getting well paid for providing a service don't seem to have the good manners to treat us with the curtesy that we deserve!...

After all, if WE were going to be late, or not attend, they would (quite rightly) expect us to have the good grace to inform them... I just want the same appreciation of my time!...

The really funny thing is, if this was about me, I'd probably be more tolerant, but when you upset my mum.... Be afraid... Be VERY afraid... I'll be on the warpath for sure!.....

Love to all...

Darth...

[RichardMEL]

On Monday my unit got me on 45 minutes LATE! I just make them take it off of my time....It is their problem, not mine. I have a life, I have things to do, and I have a scheduled time to be there. I am ALWAYS there at least 15 early from my scheduled time, they have NO excuse.
It really aggravates me that they think I have no life outside of that damn place. Grrrrrr

yes, but if you keep cutting your sessions short like that you risk a) being labelled non compliant and (worse) b) risks to your health from not enough dialysis.

I would not support making this a regular occurance, despite any message you are trying to send to the unit(they won't care) and wanting to lead your life - in the end getting less dialysis WILL affect your life and the other things you want to do.

[grannysgirl]

  I truly understand with being annoyed with having to wait to be put on.  I changed centers just for that very reason. If they make you wait because of them it's ok. But it you are late they get an attitude. My current center has staggered the patients being put on so no one has to wait. It works unless several patients come in late because of traffic. This has to be a give n take situation. Then they wonder why your blood pressure is so high when they do put you on. God help us all. I hope things get better for you!

[bette1]

What is the use of them giving us times to come in when they take people first come first serve?  It aggravates me that people with times later than me will get put on first because they wine or sit in the lobby for an hour.  I have a busy life.  I have things that I'd rather be doing than sitting in the waiting room.  I am almost never late, respect my schedule if you want me to respect yours.

[sillysar30]

well.....I just have rude people that charge into the treatment room and get a chair while my butt is waiting 20 min for a machine. It's senceless to give us a time when they can't even be ready at the given time. buy the way is anyone using a cathader as a acces site, im ready to rip mine out cause my fistula is litterall crawling along

[Bub]

I am supposedly to be on by 12:20 pm.  Never ever have I been on at that time.  And if I complain I am treated like a child throwing a temper tantrum.

[galvo]

I started on my new shift yesterday and was put on exactly one hour late. We'll put that down to teething problems and see how we go in a week or two.

[bountyhunter_ga]

Boy that sounds terrible, I guess I have the only renal care center that is nice to its customers. I don't know what I would do without the caring hands of the girls that take care of me there. Not all renal care centers are the same is what I'm hearing but I have had the same chair same time for a year and a half. And if I have to miss a session due to hospital care or something they will open up on Saturday just for me. That is the only thing that has got me through this ordeal so far is the people at my care center, Thanks to all that help and the volunteers

[YLGuy]

My unit starts pretty much on time.  Once in awhile they are short staffed and I might go on at most I think 20 minutes late.  They will monkey around with the chairs and who sits where just to try and keep everyone on time. 

[RichardMEL]

My unit is attached to the hospital, so often timetables are useless - if there's an emergency, someone has to go to ICU, inpatients arrive late (lazy orderlies!!) or whatever. We used to have times, but then some patients would show up an hour and a half early (!) and expect to be put on, and SOME nurses would indulge them, so then there would be an expectation that this will always happen, and I have seen tantrums when they haven't been put on and have to wait an hour(so that's still 30 minutes early!). So, I just adjusted and I come ~30 mins earlier also. Sometimes they are ready, sometimes not. Usually they will try and juggle things if some of us are there, and say someone they're waiting on isn't. Generally they are pretty reasonable - specially to those of us that are reasonable to them (ie: don't throw a tantie if we come early and can't get on). If I walk in and they say it's 30 minutes I say no worries and go and wait. If I come in and they say you're on chair 2 we're ready I exclaim "woohoo!" and go for it.

To Bette, maybe you should put your concerns in writing to the faculty administtrator. If they give you an appointed time I agree it's unreasonable to then make a habit of making you wait an excessive time after that. If they say "oh well it's not our fault if others run late" then change the appointment time to better reflect reality - that would be more fair I think.

If you do write I would not put it in emotive terms, just calmly state the facts that your appointment time is X, which you adhere to with the expectation to be put on within a reasonable amount of time, yet that is not being met and being made to wait an hour or more impacts on the rest of your day, which you plan around dialysis. Something like that.