I have a friend who freezes whenever she has dialysis treatments at Davita. Some of Davita's facilities will allow a blanket to be heated in a microwave, while others are uncaring, unmerciful, and won't. Electric blankets are not allowed at all. Based on my knowledge, none of Davita's facilities provide heated blankets. Hospitals do, why can't they? Consequently, patients must suffer frigid environments while undergoing these exhausting blood-sucking treatments. Isn't it enough that chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients must go to painful dialysis treatments three times or more a week and spend multiple hours hooked up to a machine, must they also be given cruel and unusual punishment by requiring them to sit in frigid treatment facilities with no heated blankets? That kind of treatment is inhumane. My friend has experienced other health complications including the flu and other respiratory viruses as a result of becoming so chilled that she is shaking as if she may be going into shock. Can Health Unlock investigate how this inhumane treatment is permitted at a so-called healthcare facility? Is allowing a patient to put a heating pad in a microwave or the facility providing a heated blanket too much to ask for? These people are suffering enough by being burdened with CKD. Is ensuring their comfort while enduring these treatments too much to ask for? What can you do Health Unlock to bring this indignity to the attention of the public, government regulators, and last but not least Davita and other dialysis facilities for corrective action? Does anyone else have any suggestions or influence with the aforementioned entities to bring about CHANGE? Please respond for the sake of our desperate CKD patients. Thank you for your concern. It could be you.
Staying Warm During Dialysis: I have a... - Kidney Dialysis
Staying Warm During Dialysis
Please ask the dialysis technician to raise the dialysate temperature by 0.5 degrees centigrade. That should be sufficient to keep your friend warm. You can increase it to 1 degree if required.
My friend did as the tech to raise the dialysate temperature, and she claimed that she couldn't because the low temperature was what the doctor ordered. Hopefully, my friend can reach her doctor and request an order to increase the temperature. I will suggest this as well. Thank you.
Yes, please do....it really helps.
I too suffered with chills during dialysis and we had heated blankets. We were also allowed to bring in purchased heated blankets (electrical). Could your friend bring in a couple of hot water bottles?
This Davita place sounds horrible and cruel. Could you write to your Heskth Minister as well as the head of Davita?
Thank you for your response. Yes, you are correct they are horrible and cruel. We don't have a Health Minister but perhaps I contact the local Health Department for assistance. Something must be done about this situation.
I understand why they might not allow electric blankets due to fire Hazzard and availability of electrical sockets....I believe they make a blanket ran on batteries.. would they consider that ?
I'm based in Scotland. We are allowed to bring in blankets and electric blankets. Seems absolutely ridiculous, that your friend can't do the same? It always amazes me, the different protocols for different dialysis facilities. Hope your friend finds a solution. Dialysis is bad enough, without this added problem 😡
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