The most beneficial aspect of non-emergency medical transportation for dialysis patients is that it helps them make it to all their scheduled treatments on time. The goal of dialysis treatment is to improve your health and get to a point where you can drive and fully take care of yourself. Still, driving to treatments is not always an option, especially in the beginning. It takes some patients a few weeks or months to get used to treatment and start to feel better.
Taxis, Uber drivers and buses often run late, making the process of getting to treatment more stressful than it needs to be. Patients often avoid asking family members for rides because they don’t want to burden their loved ones. This leads some patients to drive themselves or miss their appointments all together.
Why You Should Think Twice Before Driving Yourself to Dialysis
Chronic kidney disease patients given Hemodialysis (HD) are at risk of cramping, vison loss, blurred vision, fatigue, and even severe bleeding. These side effects can strike hours or days after treatment takes place.
Low Blood Pressure: Low blood pressure can cause blurred vision, as well as lightheadedness or faintness. These symptoms can turn dangerous if you’re out on the road behind the wheel when they strike.
Bleeding-Out: Bleed outs are a potential side effect for dialysis patients. Now imagine if a bleed out strikes while you’re alone driving your car. If you do drive, keep adequate bandages in your car and discuss how to use a tourniquet with your health care team so you’re prepared.
Fatigue: Fatigue or exhaustion is one of the most common symptoms following dialysis treatment. Countless studies have found that driving tired is just as dangerous as driving drunk. If you feel very worn out after treatment, discuss this with your Nephrologist who may consider adjusting your dialysis so that it meets more manageable levels for your body.
Our non-emergency medical transportation drivers are certified in first-aid. No matter what happens out on the road, we are prepared to take care of you. Here are 4 more benefits to non-emergency medical transportation for dialysis patients.
1. Support when you need it most
Dialysis treatments should make you start to feel better in as little as several weeks. One of the only reasons you will not feel better is if you are ill for reasons other than kidney failure. If you feel very sick following treatments, experts recommend speaking with your team of health care professionals to find a solution.
It’s perfectly normal to feel tired or less-than-your-best directly after dialysis, that’s where we come in handy. Our compassionate extended family of drivers will do everything in their power to make you feel better, while providing the safe and comfortable ride you need after treatment.
#2. Never miss a treatment
It’s hard to get on track health-wise if you continually miss treatments or reschedule. Missing too many treatments can lead to serious illness or even death. There’s no need to miss treatments when you have a reliable transportation service to take you to each session. Simply knowing you have an appointment scheduled for transportation can help motivate you to attend every scheduled appointment.
#3. Run errands after as-needed
If you need to run an errand after your treatment, simply schedule it ahead of time with us and you’re good-to-go. This prevents you from needing to leave the house later in the day to run errands, reducing your risks on the road.
#4. More convenient for everyone involved
It’s not uncommon for one person to miss work or quit work all together to regularly drive their spouse, mother, child, etc., to dialysis treatments. When you have a trusted non-emergency medical transportation service on speed-dial, no one must miss work or stop working. This allows everyone to live their life as usual, while you get the top-notch care and dialysis treatment you need.
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