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Good dialysis facilities require good staff. They should be experienced, friendly and helpful. There should be at least one full-time registered nurse. Be wary if your facility schedules five or six patients per day. This stretches resources and leads to tired, stressed and overworked staff. Some patients have even reported being allowed to soil themselves rather than pause treatment.
There are no staff limits in US dialysis facilities. Many facilities are staffed by technicians, who only require a high school diploma and in-center test to start work.
Two days later, Baer had a convulsion. Hospital tests showed that his catheter had become infected, and the infection had spread to his brain and heart. He died two days later, leaving his wife and two-monthold daughter. Fresenius declined to comment, but settled wrongful death suit with his family.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infection is the 2nd leading cause of death in dialysis patients.
The Atlantic studied 1,500 clinics around the US between 2002 and 2009. They found filthy or unsafe conditions in just under half.
There are no staff limits in US dialysis facilities. Many facilities are staffed by technicians, who only require a high school diploma and in-center test to start work.
Medicare insist that all dialysis facilities are inspected at least once ever three years, although a 2009 study showed that one in ten centers hasnt been inspected in at least five years.
Medicare can demand that facilities that fail to meet government standards submit a correction plan. Facilities can be terminated from Medicare, but this is very rare to prevent hindreing access to care. Between 2000 and 2008, only 16 facilities were banned.
Is your facility supportive? Dialysis can be scary, but most facilities have plenty of support options in place. These can include a social worker, dietician, exercise classes and relaxation classes. If your facility does not encourage communication between patients, or does not share news or inspection results, it could be underperforming.