He’s In Better Shape Than Most
Our dialysis story — chapter 42
Ben is 84. He has a multitude of health issues. We juggle medications, doctor appointments, and dialysis. In the midst of all the juggling, I lose sight of how well he’s doing until I look around the dialysis center.
Many of the patients are in wheelchairs. Some are missing a leg. One has two partial legs that end just below his knees.
Most use medical transportation — special vans with wheelchair lifts. Different vans operated by different companies. Rarely does one van transport more than one dialysis patient. When I arrive to get Ben, three medical vans wait in line to pick up patients.
The ones who use medical transportation often wait a long time to be picked up. After four hours in the center, they wait 30, 45, 60 minutes or longer to be taken home. Usually, “home” is a nursing home. Most doze on and off. Some get angry and complain to the center’s clerk or office manager. They are always told that the center can call the transportation office on behalf of the patient, but they have no control over the vans and their schedules. The patients have no choice but to wait and wait.
Only a few patients drive themselves or are driven by a family member. The drivers rarely accompany their passengers inside, as I do with Ben.
