By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or
[email protected] to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
*If I am consenting on behalf of someone else, I have the proper authorization to do so. By clicking Get My Results, you agree to our
Privacy Policy. You also consent to receive calls and texts, which may be autodialed, from us and our customer communities. Your consent is not a condition to using our service. Please visit our
Terms of Use. for information about our privacy practices.
That's not much help! What friend or family member is going to suddenly appear and give up 4 hours 3 (?) days/week?
I take it you have a job. From your profile, your grandmother appears to need a lot of help. Does she have a caregiver at home? Does she live with you? Do you do caregiving when you are not at work?
What are you going to do the next time she needs dialysis? I feel so badly for you. Please keep us updated!
There are staff to “watch” her but they are responsible for watching everyone, & it’s impossible to do that 1:1 in a dialysis center. This is why they have made that request. No, it’s not the SW’s responsibility in this case.
It is similar to when a NH management recommends the family secure a “sitter” due to inability of staff to watch a person 1:1.
This “sitter” doesn’t have to be a CNA, just a person to watch to make sure your grandmom doesn’t pull out her needles. I have worked in dialysis clinics and believe me, someone can pull a needle out in a second and the patient can have already lost a lot of blood even before the machine alarms ( I mean in 2-3 minutes as the machine WILL alarm in that time).
Dialysis centers are regulated by CMS Conditions of Coverage. While I was well versed in these regs during my dialysis days (RN Charge Nurse @ Clinical Manager) I am unfamiliar with any changes since I left that field 6 yrs ago but yes, we were allowed to ask a family member or sitter to watch over a patient known to pull out her lines.
I only hope that having dialysis 3x a week, which is arduous at best for a younger dialysis patient, is improving your grandmother’s quality of life. The dialysis process for a patient is exhausting.
If she has pulled her needles she DOES need 1:1 while at the center, & this is not an unreasonable request from the SW. Medicare covers ESRD patients if they or their spouse qualify @ 80%. If any additional sitters are needed, yes it’s an out of pocket expense. Medicare will not pay.
Explore your church for volunteers or arrange to pay them at least $10 an hour or donate to their church. The sitter does not have to be a professional paid licensed staff person.
Its scary when when someone pulls their needle. Blood goes everywhere. The dialysis center must protect other patients & staff from getting sprayed with blood. The dialysis clinic staff are unable to watch them 1:1 as often other patients are arriving to start treatment or getting rinsed back for discharge.
The chance of exsanguination is a definite possibility. I have seen patients pass out as your grandmother did & it’s because of low BP due to blood loss. Fortunately in the 20 yrs I worked dialysis it never happened that someone passed away from exsanguination. Other reasons, yes.
Again the person doesn’t have to be licensed; qualifications of the person is important if only for accountability. In other words, choose someone who you know is an astute observer and patient enough to sit in a dialysis center for 4/5 hrs & not get bored.
Our dialysis company (one of the big 2 in the US) had a requirement that the patient not cover the access arm so the staff could see the lines easily. This policy was written to assure precautions were taken to prevent episodes like this. We asked our patients to sign an acknowledgment of this policy simply to educate them about the risks of exsanguination & the importance of keeping the lines uncovered. Many signed and then went back to covering the access up with blankets, etc.
Good luck!
Check the local Nursing/community college. See if a student wants to "babysit" Gma. CNAs sometimes are trained out of Technical Schools. Try there.
Where are ur gma's children?
The cost to hire one will vary throughout the US.