How the heck does anyone make plans for travel?

[Jim]

I have only been on dialysis for two years but my one experience with trying to make travel plans was terrible! My wife and I were going on a "staycation" within the same county. I was staying within the DaVita system and wanting to go to a center that was closer to where we would be staying than my usual center.

I knew when I would be going well in advance (1 year) and let the administrator know about three months before we would be leaving. She told me the person at my center I should talk to about arrangements. When I spoke with her she said that I should check back three weeks prior to me leaving. Three weeks prior to leaving she had no news for me. At ten days prior to leaving she knew the days but not the times of my treatment s. I didn't find out the times until five days prior to leaving. This did not allow to.two make reservations for some of the things we wanted to do and had to cancel some others. How do you do it? Can't see the point if I were wanting to travel halfway across the country and trying to make plans.

[kcramer]

What you described seems to the be pattern. I have traveled three times since I started in Oct. 2013. My insurance sends me something a few weeks before leaving. I call when I get there to find out the times. They usually tell you the day before. Since I tell the person in charge which days I will have dialysis on then we know to plan things on those days differently. Example...we are going to Florida. M W F are my dialysis days. We arrive on Sunday. Monday we will rest, travel around the area to explore to see what is interesting to do around the dialysis time. We plan where we will eat and when we will eat at our resort. That means we stop at the store for what is needed. Tues. and Thursday we will go to an event planned, like Disney Land, Sea World etc. Wed. Friday or Saturday we will visit the coasts. One day the East and one day the West. (morning or afternoon depending on when dialysis is). If we can't do it on a Wed. or Friday we can on Saturday. As it works out for us. Saturday is the best to go to the Gulf to visit a niece. Therefore, we have an extra day to enjoy something close to the resort or something going on at the resort. This is how we plan our vacation and we enjoy this plan. I do not dwell on the dialysis. I think about the things I will enjoy and eat. Enjoying eat out and staying on my diet gives me a chance to eat foods I don't usually prepare for myself. I ask for limited salt. I have been to North Carolina where one of my dialysis days we spent at a fort. On our day away from dialysis we went on a sailboat trip for the whole day and it was well worth it. I think about that trip a lot. We also have visited Branson, Missouri and gone to shows. They have morning, afternoon and evening shows. The important thing is to schedule big events on day off. Try not to frustrate yourself. Hope this helps. It works for my husband and I.

[stumpr54]

Hello Jim,

As an HHD patient, I've got quite a bit more flexibility in scheduling treatments at DaVita clinics across the country. I've treated in a couple different DaVita clinics in the Denver area, one in Kansas City, MO, one in Olathe, KS and one in Greenville, SC. My home HHD clinic made the "reservations", generally weeks in advance and occassionally I didn't have a firm reservation until a few days prior.

All of these treatments occurred during business trips and with the exception of a Saturday treatment, all occurred after 3:00 pm or after the bulk of the normal business day. Most of the business trips were less than one week in length and only required one or two treatments during that partial business week. In one instance, I treated on a Tuesday and a Wednesday - an oddity for the clinic who was accustomed to seeing patient every other day. In my case I needed to get two treatments during that week to complement the three treatments I would be getting at home, e.g. Sunday prior to travel and Friday and Saturday after my return home to stay on my 5X weekly HHD treatment schedule. The other business trips of 2 to 3 day duration, required a single treatment with the balance of 4 ea. treatments conducted at home before and after travel.

I was also able to support short notice business trips of up to three days duration without a treatment by treating at home before and after travel to achieve my required 5X weekly treatments. Most of this would not have been possible if it were not for the fact that as a home hemodialysis patient, my treatment scheduling flexibility affords me all manner of ways to get my required 5X treatments per week. During the second half of 2014, my care partner spouse and I traveled by car (from Milwaukee) to Boston, York, PA (twice), Troy, MI (Detroit area), and Colorado Springs for week or week plus long trips transporting the NxStage System1 cycler and all the necessary supplies less fluid and cartridges shipped by NxStage Medical, to our respective destinations, to perform 4 or 5 ea. nocturnal HHD treatments during the stays. The daily nocturnal treatments provided full daytime flexibility to work or play.

[iolaire]

I've found that traveling in the US to larger cities I can get placement at a center around my chosen shift times when I give the coordinator a few centers to pick from.

[Hazmat35]

I recently traveled from Florida (Winter Garden) to Alabama (Gadsden) and our AA set up the visit for one day; and I didn't have any issues at all. The only issue that we did have; is that I am a button-hole; and they didn't have any Techs that did button-holes; so they had to use sharpies; which was no big deal; occasionally my center has to use them too!

Fortunately; for me; I didn't have any issues. I wish that you didn't have any! Keep trying; it took me 6 years before I got up the courage to go; so I'm glad that I didn't have any troubles; because I probably would have said "screw it" next time!

[bol47677]

My experience with Davita is much the same as the first post. Two years ago, we traveled to Myrtle Beach, and fought to get chair times before we left, and the clinic would not even consider times till it was 10 days out. We could not make any plans till we got the chair time, then they called twice at 0430, wanting to know it we could come in 30 min's from then. I found the clinic unwilling to work with us, but their expectation was for us to drop everything and report to their time table.

We are experiencing the same situation with a family trip to Disney in Florida. My family has planned a year out, got dinner reservation at Disney, and I spoke to my clinic about the trim 6 months out. The admin submitted my request, and heard back several weeks ago that my reservation has been approved. I requested chair time, and of course was giving the 10 prior to leaving song and dance from the Florida clinic. My clinic in Lee's Summit has done everything possible, it is the clinic that we are traveling to that is the problem. Are the rules so tight and inflexible not to schedule chair times when we have worked so hard to make sure there is plenty of time to schedule?.

[KelseyAtDaVita]

My experience with Davita is much the same as the first post. Two years ago, we traveled to Myrtle Beach, and fought to get chair times before we left, and the clinic would not even consider times till it was 10 days out. We could not make any plans till we got the chair time, then they called twice at 0430, wanting to know it we could come in 30 min's from then. I found the clinic unwilling to work with us, but their expectation was for us to drop everything and report to their time table.

We are experiencing the same situation with a family trip to Disney in Florida. My family has planned a year out, got dinner reservation at Disney, and I spoke to my clinic about the trim 6 months out. The admin submitted my request, and heard back several weeks ago that my reservation has been approved. I requested chair time, and of course was giving the 10 prior to leaving song and dance from the Florida clinic. My clinic in Lee's Summit has done everything possible, it is the clinic that we are traveling to that is the problem. Are the rules so tight and inflexible not to schedule chair times when we have worked so hard to make sure there is plenty of time to schedule?.

Hi there, thanks for reaching out here! I'd suggest reaching out to DaVita Guest Services with this specific question. They have travel specialists, whom I'm sure you've talked to, that would be able to address this. We're actually also hosting a Google+ Hangout: Make Travel Possible on Dialysis a week from today, next Thursday May 26 at 4 p.m. MT. You can RSVP to join here: http://bit.ly/1WBzxrj. I will suggest adding the "10 day" question to the Hangout as well, so we could potentially address it then. Thank you!

[vinniemac]

I have traveled once since being on dialysis. I went to Palm Springs and had two dialysis treatments at the Davita there. I was able to get chair time on the morning shift and since my treatment is 4 hours that helped to salvage some of the day for fun activities. I had confirmation for the 2 treatments on my usual days but I was prepared to go at whatever time the Palm Springs center could take me. Every chair was always occupied and I can understand why a center cannot always predict when they could take you. Let's not forget they have a first obligation to their regular patients. I don't think we would appreciate being bumped by our home center to accommodate a visitor so I don't expect that when visiting. I make my firm plans on non-dialysis days and try to remain flexible on dialysis days.

[Sue1282]

I am not a dialysis patient, but my significant other is. We have had no luck in planning travel. In July we went to Buffalo, WY. We let DaVita know several months out. We were told to call back within 10 days or so of travel. They could not find a dialysis center anywhere in Wyoming or South Dakota that could take him. So we wound up driving twelve hours out on Thursday, spent Friday and Sat in Wyoming and drove 12 hours back on Sunday to make it back for dialysis. This time we want to go to Chicago for Thanksgiving. My daughter lives in a Western suburb. They cannot find a place in that will take him. We were assured when we signed up with DaVita that we could travel anywhere. That all DaVita placed keep a travel chair is not true. The end result is that he may be staying home for Thanksgiving and I may have to go to Chicago on my own. We have called the travel specialists, worked with the social worker at his current DaVita. His family lives in Maine, guess he will never see them again. At this point, I don't believe they will find him a place. And I don't trust that they will help him find a place if he wants to see his children in Maine. I have been a nurse for 40 years and have never felt so let down by a system.

[KelseyAtDaVita]

I am not a dialysis patient, but my significant other is. We have had no luck in planning travel. In July we went to Buffalo, WY. We let DaVita know several months out. We were told to call back within 10 days or so of travel. They could not find a dialysis center anywhere in Wyoming or South Dakota that could take him. So we wound up driving twelve hours out on Thursday, spent Friday and Sat in Wyoming and drove 12 hours back on Sunday to make it back for dialysis. This time we want to go to Chicago for Thanksgiving. My daughter lives in a Western suburb. They cannot find a place in that will take him. We were assured when we signed up with DaVita that we could travel anywhere. That all DaVita placed keep a travel chair is not true. The end result is that he may be staying home for Thanksgiving and I may have to go to Chicago on my own. We have called the travel specialists, worked with the social worker at his current DaVita. His family lives in Maine, guess he will never see them again. At this point, I don't believe they will find him a place. And I don't trust that they will help him find a place if he wants to see his children in Maine. I have been a nurse for 40 years and have never felt so let down by a system.

Hi Sue1282, thank you for reaching out on myDaVita! We're sorry to hear about your experience and difficulty traveling. We will pass along your situation to the DaVita Guest Services team. I am also going to send you a direct message for more information. Thank you!

[kbuchanan]

So, it seems that if you want to travel in the daVita system, you are best off calling centers yourself. I have been working with my location for a MONTH with no luck in getting a seat time in Los Angeles of all places. There are 8 facilities within 15 miles of where I will be. The marketing does NOT match the delivery. Start early, be proactive, follow up and jump through the hoops to make your vacation enjoyable.

[KelseyAtDaVita]

So, it seems that if you want to travel in the daVita system, you are best off calling centers yourself. I have been working with my location for a MONTH with no luck in getting a seat time in Los Angeles of all places. There are 8 facilities within 15 miles of where I will be. The marketing does NOT match the delivery. Start early, be proactive, follow up and jump through the hoops to make your vacation enjoyable.

Hi kbuchanan, I'm sorry to hear about your frustrating experience. Have you tried contacting the DaVita Guest Services team. You can speak with a travel specialist by calling 1-800-400-8331 or emailing guestservices@davita.com. They can help assist you with any travel questions you may have. I hope that helps!

[cfsnco9767]

I am new to dialysis. just know that I go three times a week. What "button-hole"? "used sharpies", what for?

I recently traveled from Florida (Winter Garden) to Alabama (Gadsden) and our AA set up the visit for one day; and I didn't have any issues at all. The only issue that we did have; is that I am a button-hole; and they didn't have any Techs that did button-holes; so they had to use sharpies; which was no big deal; occasionally my center has to use them too!

Fortunately; for me; I didn't have any issues. I wish that you didn't have any! Keep trying; it took me 6 years before I got up the courage to go; so I'm glad that I didn't have any troubles; because I probably would have said "screw it" next time!