Does the NHS deny dialysis to people over... - Dialysis Support
Does the NHS deny dialysis to people over 70? My USA doctor says it does.
No that is wrong the NHS does not deny over 70's dialysis.
We have patients in their eighties so no it's not true
Absolutely not. The people in the unit I use range from 85 right down the scale. I would say that over half of them are over 70. Everyone receives the same care and attention. Obviously some are more successful than others but there are so many reasons why they are there in the first place. Your USA doctor is probably thinking, as they all do, in terms of money and luckily it does not apply.
Thanks to all who replied. I think doctors in the USA are so afraid of Obamacare they are trying to scare older people into opposing it. It's good to have this forum where the facts can be known.
I can confirm what others have said and add that they also transplant such people as well should they be suitable.
What can happen is that the patient may feel that "at their time of life" they may feel that going through such a debilitating treatment might not be for them and opt for conservative care whereby all is done by consultants/dieticians etc to make their decision to opt for this as comfortable as possibe. That is not to say they promote such decisions only give the patient the options available with all the facts.
All patients who are medically fit to receive dialysis will be given this life saving form of treatment under the NHS. There is no age discrimination. However, this is a harsh form of treatment involving lengthy hospital visits and sometimes it is considered better to treat elderly patients with conservative management but dialysis is not denied to anyone medically fit to benefit from it.
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My husband is 70 and does 4 x daily peritoneal dialysis himself having started on it last year! Our experience has been that there are no blanket decisions and that it all depends upon the abilities and circumstances of the person. Conservative management may be best for the NHS but certainly isn't best for a person of 70 who is otherwise capable.
Bit harsh if they did, like giving a death sentence. They might in the US, not in the UK.
No of course not or they would basically be signing their death certificate, lots of people where I went to dialysis were far over 70 
I have been a renal nurse for over 20 years in the states. This statement is definitely false. We have patients of all ages recieving both hemodialysis and PD. The only time palliative only measures are done, is, if the family requests this of a failing family member. We also have nursing home/long term care facilities with in-house hemo units-this is expanding because of our growing older population. Hope this helps to clarify any misconceptions.
Certainly hope not as I'm waiting for it.
Hi, my mum has been on dialysis for about six months now and she'll be 80 next year - but don't let her know I told you that 
We have also started to explore the wonderful world of 'awayday dialysis' and she managed a 4 day stint in my caravan in a field at the muddiest ever Great Dorset Steam Fair (but probably don't let the doctors know that!). Many thanks and lots of love to all at the Poole dialysis unit, they invited me in to see what happens and were brilliant.
My father is 75 and with stage 3 kidney disease. He had an infection causing his lungs to fill with fluid, but this may also be due to the reduced kidney function. He is on diuretics at the moment and responding well. BUT the doctors say that if his kidneys fail completely they will not put him on dialysis because he is not an 'ideal' candidate for it because he is old with limited mobility and that sometimes it is better to let the patient 'go'. I am furious - how can a GP suggest to not treat a patient - assisted suicide. How can I make sure my father gets dialysis should he need it to save his life......
No it dosent I can't have kidney transplant because of my health issues ....but will be starting dialias soon & im 78 next month.......so your GP has heard it wrong
Good luck
Peggy