Filing a complaint as a patient when retaliation is a major concern

[Learning_as_we_go]

Hello, everyone! I’m hoping you guys might have some advice on how to handle a delicate situation.

My mom has noticed some unsafe practices at her clinic, such as chairs not being cleaned between patients, cross-contamination of supplies/equipment due to techs not changing gloves, improper handling of isolation room patients, etc. She wants to make an anonymous complaint about what she is seeing because staff tends to retaliate against patients who rock the boat, usually by ignoring the patient during treatment or being careless when sticking them with the fistula needles. Sadly, the clinical manager is rarely ever there and has a habit of throwing the complaining patient under the bus to the staff, so that isn’t really an option in this case.

Everyone my mom has called (ESRD Network, Medicare, Department of Health) wants her name and contact information in order to take the complaint, and they said they cannot promise anonymity. Is there anyone else she can reach out to for assistance without having to give them her personal information?

[Darlenia]

This is heartbreaking. You're a wonderful daughter for caring about your mom. You might want to try contacting Dialysis Advocates here: facebook.com/DialysisAdvoca... The phone number listed there is [phone] if you're able to open the link. They also have website here which has another phone number: dialysispatients.org/ Although my husband and I have not interacted with that organization, a member on Health Unlocked mentioned a few years that they were very helpful in resolving her situation regarding a dialysis center. I truly hope all of us have a person as loving and supportive as you are with your mother. Blessings.

[Learning_as_we_go in reply to Darlenia]

Thank you for your kind words and guidance! We’ll give Dialysis Advocates a call.

[CatsAreTops]

good god! That’s appalling. Speak directly with your nephrologist and your gp.

Is there anywhere else you can go?

When I was on dialysis (7 months kidney recipient) I jumped on my nurses if any sign of less than satisfactory hygiene. I was quite vocal in my care and I think that’s key to being cared for properly but shouldn’t be necessary.

Somehow your place of care’s management needs to be informed.

[Learning_as_we_go in reply to CatsAreTops]

We just learned that Corporate decided to shorten the length of time between patients, so now the techs have even LESS time to clean the chairs and get patients settled. They also decided to cut back on gloves—now they will only provide size small gloves for patients to use when touching their access site after the needles are removed (patients are expected to hold gauze over the site while the tech prepares the tape). Needless to say, there are many patients whose hands won’t fit into small gloves. Corporate couldn’t have made it more clear that they see dialysis patients as dollar signs rather than people.

At this point we are so fed up with this company’s complete apathy for its patients, that my mom made a formal complaint to the ESRD Network and proudly gave her name (she plans to approach Medicare and Dialysis Advocates next). If anyone at the clinic asks her about it, she plans to frame it as doing the staff a favor, because we all know who the company will blame when something goes wrong due to lack of time and resources.

These companies need to be called out for their greedy and downright dangerous behavior.

[bumblebee_tuna]

What provider are you using? I know Fersenius has an anonymous wistleblower system.

[Learning_as_we_go in reply to bumblebee_tuna]

She’s now a patient of Davita, but she used to attend a Fresenius clinic before we moved. Fresenius had a number you could call to file a complaint, but the complaint just went directly to the clinic manager (who usually didn’t care anyway) and never made its way higher.

We need a better system.