African Americans are 3x more likely to be on dialysis- and 0x more likely to accept hospice! Help EDUCATE! @agape_Senior

The first time I heard the word DIALYSIS was about 18 years ago-- my then boyfriend and now husband of 16 years- told me that his grandmother was on dialysis and I had no IDEA what that meant.  You know why?  Because no one in my family had ever been on dialysis and I don't think I knew anyone who knew anyone close to them on DIALYSIS.  Over the years I learned a lot about dialysis from his family and how it affected his grandmother. 

Do you know what DIALYSIS is and what all it entails?  The short answer is:  When a person begins to lose function of his or her kidneys this is the only way to keep them ALIVE by cleaning the blood in their body and putting it back into their body.  Some people do it three days a week and I know someone that does it five times a week. Yes people leave their homes 3-5 days a week and sit or lay in a chair/bed hooked up to a machine that literally removes their blood and replaces it to keep them alive. 

 

Mr. Dill picture from The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, TN


The facts are simple:  High blood pressure & Diabetes are the largest influencers of having to be put on dialysis and both of these can be controlled -- it takes a lot of work, but in the African American community we are 3 times more likely to be affected by this-- because of our diets and we are less likely to pay attention to keeping our blood pressure under control.  As the American diet worsens and conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure become more common, the number of people on dialysis is rising.

I had the opportunity to sit in on a local Dialysis Clinic on Friday to talk about hospice & dialysis to the staff.  I had a great time meeting nurses, techs and one medical doctor--  You see a common myth is that if I am on dialysis I will have to stop to be on hospice.  First you must understand that every single patient is different from the next and many patients have what we call a dual diagnosis and it allows a patient to continue dialysis and receive hospice services.  Think about how tired and drained a person would be after dialysis-- if you have ever given blood you probably know how tired you are after a pint has been taken-- think about every drop being RECYCLED and put back in your body.  Who wouldn't want a C.N.A. to be in the home to help them get dressed for bed, check their vitals, be sure they are eating a proper meal or just to get them settled in the home after being transported by family or ambulance. If you know someone on dialysis who you think could benefit from the service-- please contact me and let's talk.  Note: many times we have gone in because patients decide that dialysis is no longer wanted and they want to concentrate on QUALITY of life and no longer focus on in and out of a dialysis center 3x a week.  This is the hospice that most people are familiar with and we need to break the barriers down to educate people to understand that the earlier you receive hospice the more benefits you will receive from it-- both the patient and the family taking care of the patient.

The word HOSPICE doesn't mean death tomorrow, but what it needs to mean is that we are opening the door to MORE comfort.  MORE help.  MORE quality time. A RN once a week.  A chaplain and a social worker!

The federal Medicare health insurance spent roughly $6.1 billion on dialysis treatment and drugs in 2007.