‘Great need’ in Ottawa for homes to accept residents on peritoneal dialysis: hospital
Tuesday, December 7, 2005 -- Natalie Miller
Ottawa seniors who have kidney failure and require long-term care have to leave the city for specialized treatments.

There are no long-term care homes in the city of Ottawa that are accepting residents who require peritoneal dialysis.

“There is a great need,” says Julie Regimbald, social worker in nephrology at the Riverside campus of the Ottawa Hospital.

“We need a lot of long-term care homes to accept these clients,” says Julie. “We’ve been struggling with this for awhile.”

In order to provide peritoneal dialysis, a procedure that removes wastes from the blood by pumping fluids into the abdomen, registered staff require between two and seven days of training. “The facilities aren’t trained yet,” says Julie, noting staff can’t be trained until the homes agree to take on residents.

Peritoneal dialysis is a skill that needs to be maintained, says Jocelyne Lariviere, clinical manager for the home dialysis unit at the same campus where Julie works.

“The nurses need to be trained to be completely proficient,” says Jocelyne. In addition to the specific dialysis treatment which takes about 30 minutes four to five times a day, the patient also requires a lot of evaluation – monitoring blood pressure and target weight and ensuring the lungs are clear of any fluids.

Seniors can receive peritoneal dialysis at home but often other health factors prompt the move into long-term care. If long-term care was accepting residents, they could continue to receive their treatments there. However, often these seniors wind up in chronic care or on hemodialysis, which requires a machine that is available through an out-patient clinic at the hospital.

While some homes do accept residents who require hemodialysis, it’s a loss of independence for seniors and requires them to make several trips to the hospital each week, the hospital employees say.

“Our peritoneal dialysis population is growing because it’s a good alternative treatment,” says Jocelyne. “Clinics are getting full and recruitment to the home programs are more necessary.”