Social Workers of Dialysis Centers That Are All But Useless.....

[kristina]

What did they do to you to ruin your life when you were in hospital ?.......

It is a long story. I have posted about it on this board before and I doubt if anyone wants to read through it again, so I'll give you the "Cliff Notes" version here:

While in hospital, social services needed access to my home. I gave them my door keys and expected them to return them. Instead they put them in a key safe on the front door. A neighbour smashed it open and robbed me, taking anything of value, lots of things with sentimental value, and wrecking the place. When I came out of hospital and saw this I went into depression, mostly from the loss of sentimental stuff, and sat in the mess for months, doing nothing but spending my savings. During that time I pulled myself together enough to contact social services about it. Fearing a lawsuit they simply cut me off and left me contemplating killing myself. I have always wanted to produce a movie, and before going into hospital had at last got the money together to do so (very low budget, very very low budget). In my depression I just sat, spending money on food, and got through that money. As I am now on disability benefit I'll never save that much again. That life long dream has gone too. I have still not fully cleared up from the robbery. Fire officer visited a while back and decided that due to the state of it, my apartment is not fit for human habitation. The only reason he did not order my eviction was that he realised I am still going in and out of a depressive state, and eviction would probably tip me over the edge into suicide.

More recently I have tried to get social services to help undo the damage they caused, they still blank me. And although I now don't get up every morning and consider stepping in front of a tram, there are days when I consider it. I still live in a mess, stuff thrown all over the place. And the social services still afraid to even discuss the problem that they caused.

One day I may stop posting here. And it may be because I finally lost my battle with the urge to step in front of a tram. If that happens, and anyone posts an eulogy, you can say that I was effectively killed by social workers.

Now somebody please post something cheary to counterbalance this post.

Hello Paul,
I am so sorry about your bad luck to go through such a horrific experience with social workers, especially since they all seen to "gang up on you" and refuse to "own up" to the mistake of their colleague, if it was a mistake, because it looks odd. Why would a social worker  - without your consent - put a key safe on the entrance of your door with your key inside? What a convenience to anyone (i.e. the social worker and/or a neighbour etc.) to smash it open and take out your key to open your door and  take whatever they fancy to take from your place? I honestly have never heard anything as heart-breaking as that to be done to the property of a vulnerable person who happens to be hospitalized at that very time. I do hope there is soon a chance for you to find a practical way forward and get some of the money back, which you can use to buy equipment etc. you need to have a chance and get on with the idea of a low budget film. Please keep this idea very much alive ! You never know what the future brings and I do wish you good luck with it all. Don't forget, you are also on the transplant waiting list right now and your luck hopefully might change very soon. I certainly wish it for you!
You know, many years ago I used the London Underground to travel to the city because I wanted to buy some birthday-presents and someone got their hands into my handbag (without me noticing anything) and they took my purse with all my money and unfortunately my purse also included my student-pass with my photo. Of course I was very upset about the loss of the money, but it disturbed me even more, that they had my student-pass with my photo in it and my name etc. and that really hit me most of all and it took quite a while until I had reasonably recovered from it.
I do hope you also find your way and recover from this shock and I can well imagine that it may take a while. Could you try to get some help from the Council i.e. victim-support etc. because the shock, combined with your health-situation plus the loss of money etc., there surely is an organisation/victim-charity to help?
I certainly wish you all the best of luck and thanks for telling your story and I shall try to avoid social workers as best as I can. Some social workers surely have lots to answer for !
Good luck and best wishes from Kristina.

[Mr Ken]

  Got back from the Dr. appointment he identified the issue prescribed a medication asked if I would like a follow up appointment All done within 15 minutes. See HELPFUL. Badabing Badaboom! 

Glad he was not Tommy the social worker....

Next Clinic visit 

I will post an update.

Ken

[Simon Dog]

You need to have a delivery support system to bring you food, take the garbage to the curb, etc.  since you will be on "no drive, no heavy lifting" status for a while. This can be a friend who stops by occasionally, or you can use one of the new services like Shipt and UberEats to get provisions, plus some grocery stores offer home delivery.

My wife left town for 4 days a week after I was home from xplant (conference attendance scheduled months b4 I got the call), and I had a dog to take care of.  No other household members, but I was offered fish heads and rice by the Chinese family across the street (I accepted the rice which was good), and my brother stopped by and did a grocery run for me.   Walking the dog was good therapy, but bending over with the bags was uncomfortable at the incision site.

All in all, everything worked out and I would not hesitate to get a transplant if my home support consisted of people who did not live with me helping with errands.

FYI You could freeze apple cider. The taste is slightly different from fresh but it is still very good. When it was on sale for $2.99 a gallon you cannot go wrong. Freeze three gallons and have it all of November December.

Huh?  One gallon lasts me 2 days, 3 tops.   That stuff is delicious.

[Mr Ken]

You need to have a delivery support system to bring you food, take the garbage to the curb, etc.  since you will be on "no drive, no heavy lifting" status for a while. This can be a friend who stops by occasionally, or you can use one of the new services like Shipt and UberEats to get provisions, plus some grocery stores offer home delivery.

My wife left town for 4 days a week after I was home from xplant (conference attendance scheduled months b4 I got the call), and I had a dog to take care of.  No other household members, but I was offered fish heads and rice by the Chinese family across the street (I accepted the rice which was good), and my brother stopped by and did a grocery run for me.   Walking the dog was good therapy, but bending over with the bags was uncomfortable at the incision site.

All in all, everything worked out and I would not hesitate to get a transplant if my home support consisted of people who did not live with me helping with errands.

FYI You could freeze apple cider. The taste is slightly different from fresh but it is still very good. When it was on sale for $2.99 a gallon you cannot go wrong. Freeze three gallons and have it all of November December.

Huh?  One gallon lasts me 2 days, 3 tops.   That stuff is delicious.

I understand that. That is all in place. That is not an issue. Never was.

Ken

[enginist]

My brother is retiring in four months.  Maybe he could visit every other day.

[Paul]

Could you try to get some help from the Council i.e. victim-support etc. because the shock, combined with your health-situation plus the loss of money etc., there surely is an organisation/victim-charity to help?

I have tried several organisations, no luck. Although I was given six weeks free psychiatric help after I admitted that while depressed I had sat down and worked out a way to murder the neighbour and dispose of the body.

Don't forget, you are also on the transplant waiting list right now

Actually I'm not. I'm still on the tests to see if I can go on the list. Every time they finish a test I get told "Hmm, there is a problem there, we need to do another test to see if it is too serious to allow a transplant."

[Mr Ken]

I have tried several organisations, no luck. Although I was given six weeks free psychiatric help after I admitted that while depressed

Oh boy with this one....... I think these people are related to social workers.................. They have the weekly Sunday dinner at the table and talk about how not to help the patients..

I had sat down and worked out a way to murder the neighbour and dispose of the body.

LOL  that is funny......... Now may be your neighbor just wanted to borrow some things.. You have to share. Bring the neighbor a piece of apple pie next time you get one.

Actually I'm not. I'm still on the tests to see if I can go on the list. Every time they finish a test I get told "Hmm, there is a problem there, we need to do another test to see if it is too serious to allow a transplant."

There are so many variables that any one could cause a red flag to go up and the process comes to a halt. They want a successful outcome but they also know that damn bugger is in demand and there is a shortage so the less perfect people tend to swirl around the bottom of the barrel a bit......

Ken

[Rerun]

This site is better than any Social Worker.  I've tired to pass it on to my Social Worker and she just stared at me.

Social Workers have never been on dialysis.  It is like having a skinny aerobics teacher. 

[Simon Dog]

Social Workers have never been on dialysis.  It is like having a skinny aerobics teacher.

Part of the training for any REMF in a dialysis clinic should be "During your first week, you will sit in a D chair for 4 hours on M, W and F.   You can watch TV, read, and do pretty much anything except get out of the chair for those 4 hours.   If you get out of the chair, you lose credit for that session and have to do it again".

[Rerun]

Come on!  At least tape one arm down! 

[PrimeTimer]

And without telling them when, why or how many times it may happen, they will be made to puke, pee or poop in front of everyone and STILL not allowed to leave the chair. 

[Mr Ken]

And without telling them when, why or how many times it may happen, they will be made to puke, pee or poop in front of everyone and STILL not allowed to leave the chair.

Hehehehe  I forgot about that one!!!! The occasional urge to go a bit but the technician takes their sweet time in bringing the catch vessel.... Come on I am gonna go and I am tethered to the dang machine here... Hahahaha

Look at all the fun people who are not on dialysis are missing.   

[kristina]

Could you try to get some help from the Council i.e. victim-support etc. because the shock, combined with your health-situation plus the loss of money etc., there surely is an organisation/victim-charity to help?

I have tried several organisations, no luck. Although I was given six weeks free psychiatric help after I admitted that while depressed I had sat down and worked out a way to murder the neighbour and dispose of the body.

Don't forget, you are also on the transplant waiting list right now

Actually I'm not. I'm still on the tests to see if I can go on the list. Every time they finish a test I get told "Hmm, there is a problem there, we need to do another test to see if it is too serious to allow a transplant."

Hello Paul,
I am so sorry that you have already tried several organisations without any luck. Sometimes I wonder why we have so many "charities" and organisations to help people in need and what they are actually doing no one knows, because whenever one needs some help from any of them, there is no chance, because one won't fit into their - whatever it is one should fit into - and as a result there is no help whatsoever ...
Now since we have "sorted" the unwillingness of "our" charities and organisations, would it be perhaps a good idea to write about this to your MP ? Or is there perhaps a chance to ask someone else at the Council ? These Council-buildings are so huge and have so many rooms and surely there is one room where your problem could fit in and be sorted out by a kind Council worker ?
Sorry about your transplant-work-up and I do hope they sort out those "hiccups" as soon as possible. Is there any idea why it has not been sorted yet? Please don't let them get away with not giving you any results. It is so important for you to know that "things" are under way and to know that you are on the waiting list. Please make sure that they understand how much you need to know about your position.
I wish you good luck and keep my fingers crossed.
All the best from Kristina.

[Mr Ken]

My clinic visit was kind of quiet. Not a peep was said to me about the recording so I take it has they are sweeping it under the rug. As long as I do not see that useless social worker everything should be fine as far as that goes.....  They were still having technical issues - unbelievable.  A lot of other patients were in and about for their clinic day too..... I did get some bad news about my treatment though and I will start another message topic on that... I do not want to high jack my message topic here into something else as we are varying off topic a bit...

Ken

[Riki]

Social Workers have never been on dialysis.  It is like having a skinny aerobics teacher.

Part of the training for any REMF in a dialysis clinic should be "During your first week, you will sit in a D chair for 4 hours on M, W and F.   You can watch TV, read, and do pretty much anything except get out of the chair for those 4 hours.   If you get out of the chair, you lose credit for that session and have to do it again".

I read an article a while back about a social worker who did just that, well, just the one 4 hour session.  She had an arm taped down, and 4 one litre bags of saline, 2 on her lap, and one taped to each leg.  Every hour, one of the bags was removed.  She said that it was quite an eye opener for her.  One of my nurses actually did something similar.  She tried sitting in one of our chairs.  She was killing time, and decided to try out the chair.  She only lasted about 20 minutes.  She told me that from then on, she had sympathy for any of us who couldn't wait to get out of the chair after 4-5 hours.

When it comes to useless social workers, I have one of those too.  You know they are useless when the nurses in the unit agree with you about their uselessness.  The Summer of 2017, I was planning a trip to Atlanta, Georgia.  The Davita unit in Atlanta needed a bunch of tests done before they could make the appointments for me.  I tried to get the social worker to help, since that is part of her job, but I ended up scheduling most of the tests myself.  I'm planning a trip to Philidelphia this summer, and I don't expect any help from her then either.

[GA_DAWG]

Would have had to ask the SW exactly what he thought the difference between "helpiing" and "advising" is. Guess maybe it actually amounts to DOING something.

[Simon Dog]

Recording, either audio or video, within Dialoysis clinics is frowned upon.

Record audio in MA without it either being obvious, or all parties notified, will bring a felony charge in MA.  One guy who filed a complaint about a rude police officer and supplied a recording as proof was so convicted (see Commonwealth v. Hyde, MA SJC).

[Mr Ken]

Would have had to ask the SW exactly what he thought the difference between "helpiing" and "advising" is. Guess maybe it actually amounts to DOING something.

Tom was obstinate not willing to help...... With that attitude I would not take his advise because he probably does not know. I do not need to be talking to a magic eight ball. You could get all kinds through mail  order....

"I got to take care of around 24 patients and I only work part time..." Well Fresenious must feel you are not too useful or you would be full time tommy.....

The only accomplishment he did was change my views towards the facility. Things are not going to be the same.....

[Mr Ken]

Recording, either audio or video, within Dialoysis clinics is frowned upon.

Record audio in MA without it either being obvious, or all parties notified, will bring a felony charge in MA.  One guy who filed a complaint about a rude police officer and supplied a recording as proof was so convicted (see Commonwealth v. Hyde, MA SJC).

Then he should have announced that he was recording and that probably would have shut the cop up because then it would have been "legal" but I would have challenged that based on Federal statutes. Take ownership of what you say and be proper there is nothing to worry about.

He is a waste of time and a wast of space.

[Michael Murphy]

If a state has a two party consent law that is not a federal matter most of the federal law is aimed at recording phone calls not at recording conversations.  The way around is to call a friend and have them listen the call without recording, that way you have a witness.

[Simon Dog]

If a state has a two party consent law that is not a federal matter most of the federal law is aimed at recording phone calls not at recording conversations.  The way around is to call a friend and have them listen the call without recording, that way you have a witness.

There is also "nonsurreptitious" states like MA.  A recording of "don't record me" is a defense to a wirtapping charge, as it proves the other party knew about the recording.

[Darthvadar]

The Renal Social Worker involved in my late mum's case was worse than useless.... In fact she was a dreadful influence on, and totally destroyed my last few hours with Mum....

Lots of people on the forum know the story, others don't... I'll tell it if people want me to....

Suffice to say, she is NOT on my Christmas Card List....

Sadly though, it appears to be the 'weapons' in the healthcare field who seem to progress fast and far!!!...

Love to all...

Darth....

[Whamo]

I can't believe people bellyache about spending four hours in a chair.  I am on my PD machine 12 hours a day -- 7 days a week.  It isn't as painful as hemodialysis but it lasts a long time. 

[Riki]

I can't believe people bellyache about spending four hours in a chair.  I am on my PD machine 12 hours a day -- 7 days a week.  It isn't as painful as hemodialysis but it lasts a long time.

I've done both, and believe me, the difference is night and day.  Even back in the early 1990s when PD was primitive, and run totally on gravity, and once you were connected, you were on for the whole 12 hours because to come off, you actually have to clamp the line and cut it, it was more comfortable than 4-5 hours in that chair, and I'll tell you why.

1. On PD you are in your own home, in your own bed.  It is much more comfortable.
2. You don't have to deal with the idiot patients who NEED to have their tvs at full blast, or talk on their phones, and because they are deaf, are yelling into them, while you are trying to nap.
3. If you want, you can be in total darkness
4. On PD, if you are on a dwell, you can cap and disconnect, then do whatever you want.  I actually remember once, capping and disconnecting, then going to a movie with friends.  I was late coming back for the drain, but I could still do it.
5.  Hemo machines lower your blood temperature, so you are cold for the entire time.  PD machines don't do that.  It's incredibly uncomfortable.  In my case, when I leave, my body is sore from the shivering.  I think I've described it before as a full body quake

There are probably more, but I can't think of any offhand.  Unless you've done both, it's really hard to say what the other goes through.  It's more than just sitting in a chair, there are so many other factors involved.

[Mr Ken]

I agree with the above... But with PD it is a 7 day thing......... Sometimes you just don't want to do it....... But you do it......... In fact today I am doing a double treatment... Just disconnected with a total ultra filtration of just over 1900ml I want to take another 1500ml off.....