Trusting Social Worker

[Loganwon]

Don't stay with your centers social worker,he or she is employed there so the main focus is making money by keeping you on dialsysis.go directly to a transplant center in your local hospital.

That is exactly what I think, they have no incentive to get you off of dialysis, they lose a customer when they do get you a transplant.

[Jim1958]

Don't stay with your centers social worker,he or she is employed there so the main focus is making money by keeping you on dialsysis.go directly to a transplant center in your local hospital.

[Jim1958]

Hi loganwon,your best bet is to go to a transplant hospital near you and see a transplant director,he or she will take you through all the steps of being placed on a list and they stay involved with you all the way.

[Loganwon]

I only discuss my transplant issues with the social worker at the transplant center. If I needed help with transportation or paying for my drugs or other issues, I'd go to the social worker at the clinic. The only thing the clinic does is pull my monthly blood for the transplant center and let them know if I'm compliant or not. (I am very compliant.) Getting to that transplant center is your first step.

Oh yes, I am trying to be as compliant as possible, I don't want to have any reasons to be rejected for a transplant.

[FloridaGirl]

I only discuss my transplant issues with the social worker at the transplant center. If I needed help with transportation or paying for my drugs or other issues, I'd go to the social worker at the clinic. The only thing the clinic does is pull my monthly blood for the transplant center and let them know if I'm compliant or not. (I am very compliant.) Getting to that transplant center is your first step.

[Loganwon]

Keep in mind that, if you are of "limited means", if you DO get a transplant, you will lose your medicare 1 year after the transplant. Pay attention to the cost of those anti-rejection meds, and be certain that your employer-provided or marketplace policy will pay enough towards them before you go through with the transplant.

I am on Medicare and Medicaid because I sued the government and a Cruise Ship Line and won my case. Had they done what they were supposed to do at the proper time I would not be on dialysis. Anyway, I have a legal team handling the paperwork, I just wanted to see what Davita would do and what they will not do, now I know. I will never have to pay for any drugs, never have for over 11 years now.

Being a Professional Poker Player enables me to make money that no one but me knows how much or when and where I win it at/from. I have thought of stopping by India when I am in Macau and buying a kidney. Costs about $70,000 total for a healthy young disease free kidney, but that is a little more unethical than I want to go through with right now, but things change and so do people and governments. It is not an issue of costs, I am working on a project here in America to enable people to trade kidneys for a consideration.

One project is cutting prisoners sentences in exchange for organ donations. It helps pay their debt to society and saves lives at the same time. America will soon come around to the idea of a system of free enterprise concerning organ donation. Hopefully sooner than later.

[dac0214]

Keep in mind that, if you are of "limited means", if you DO get a transplant, you will lose your medicare 1 year after the transplant. Pay attention to the cost of those anti-rejection meds, and be certain that your employer-provided or marketplace policy will pay enough towards them before you go through with the transplant.

[jumontgomery]

my birthday which is today the 30th, and learning how to do dialysis.

Happy Birthday :-) I have many acquaintances in Florida with serious health issues (mostly HIV related). The consensus from them is that Florida is not a great state to be sick in (as far as assistance and benefits). Also, unfortunately your dialysis providers are sometimes limited to what they can help you with by regulations. There are a lot of steps involved and I know it can be completely overwhelming even to the healthiest person.

You definitely are in my thoughts, and I hope the new year brings better health and/or a transplant for you.

[Loganwon]

Hi Loganwon,

Your social worker is your go-to person to talk with about transplants. If you do not feel like you have been adequately educated about transplants, please send me a message with the name of your center so we can contact Guest Services and have them discuss the matter with your social worker.

The top priority of all DaVita teammates is to provide the highest possible quality of care and to make sure you are educated about your treatment and transplant options. Though it can be difficult to get a transplant, your social worker is there to help you through the process of getting on the list and answering any questions you may have.

Thank you,
Caitlyn

I met with the social worker at my PD clinic today (12/30/2105) and she basically told me that taking care of all the test results (colonoscopy, ekg, ecg, heart stress test, and mental evaluation) and having the tests done and bringing in the results were totally my responsibility. So besides having to make a huge adjustment to dialysis, if I want a kidney transplant then it is up to me to do all the leg work and paperwork.

My PD clinic is in Kissimmee Florida on Central Ave. I have the sheet with the highlighted parts that I have to have done. She basically stated that it was up to me and my General practitioner to set up the tests then have them done before she could submit any paperwork to the transplant list company. She said she is also not sure which hospital will cover the cost of the transplant. I am on Medicare and Medicaid, I thought they covered all costs?

I am not trying to rag on her, I just think it would be ideal if she would help me work on one thing at a time. It is very difficult adjusting to dialysis and then trying to navigate through the jungle that is the process of getting a transplant is very difficult. I told her I was suffering from depression because of the holidays, deaths of family and friends, my birthday which is today the 30th, and learning how to do dialysis. She told me to talk to a Psychiatrist. I though social workers would be more helpful. I do not have a lot of faith in her helping me get on the transplant list, what are my other options?

[Loganwon]

From what experience I have had, you dialysis provider is not the place to go for transplant info, but rather your nephrologist would be the person to get you assessed by a transplant hospital.

That would be great if the nephrologist was ever at my clinic, he shows up once a month for a couple of hours and it is next to impossible to get an appointment at his office,

[dac0214]

From what experience I have had, you dialysis provider is not the place to go for transplant info, but rather your nephrologist would be the person to get you assessed by a transplant hospital.

[CaitlynAtDaVita]

Hi Loganwon,

Your social worker is your go-to person to talk with about transplants. If you do not feel like you have been adequately educated about transplants, please send me a message with the name of your center so we can contact Guest Services and have them discuss the matter with your social worker.

The top priority of all DaVita teammates is to provide the highest possible quality of care and to make sure you are educated about your treatment and transplant options. Though it can be difficult to get a transplant, your social worker is there to help you through the process of getting on the list and answering any questions you may have.

Thank you,
Caitlyn

I don't understand why the social workers at any Davita Center have any incentive to get me a kidney transplant. The social workers work for Davita, therefore if I got a transplant then Davita would be losing a patient and all the money that comes from me being a patient.

I have been going to 2 different centers, the first for hemo and the 2nd for peritoneal. Neither social worker has helped me yet. I have never met the dietician from the pd center and have never met the nephrologist either. It is almost impossible to get a straight answer through this website from Davita and the people at the centers are not a lot of help either.

How can I find out if the social worker actually put my name on the transplant list yet and where can I see where my name is on the list? I do not trust people that have no incentive to help me and I don't see any reason why the social workers would do anything beyond the bare minimum.

[DebbyRig]

Loganwon have you gone through all the testing to be listed for a transplant already? I hear they can be pretty thorough. If it is at the hospital that you are at then I would move up the chain of command until you get an answer. I don't know but I think your nephrologist would be the one to get you listed not the social worker but you would probably know better than me.

[Loganwon]

I don't understand why the social workers at any Davita Center have any incentive to get me a kidney transplant. The social workers work for Davita, therefore if I got a transplant then Davita would be losing a patient and all the money that comes from me being a patient.

I have been going to 2 different centers, the first for hemo and the 2nd for peritoneal. Neither social worker has helped me yet. I have never met the dietician from the pd center and have never met the nephrologist either. It is almost impossible to get a straight answer through this website from Davita and the people at the centers are not a lot of help either.

How can I find out if the social worker actually put my name on the transplant list yet and where can I see where my name is on the list? I do not trust people that have no incentive to help me and I don't see any reason why the social workers would do anything beyond the bare minimum.