Room Temperature

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After informing my doc that we have constant complaints about the room temp being "too cold!," he said Medicare actually has written guidelines on what the temperature range of dialysis centers should be; somewhere between 68 and 72 he thought. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to locate this information. Do any of you know where I can find this information? Thank you in advance for all your input!

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Specializes in Med Surg, Home Health, Dialysis, Tele.

when i worked at a dialysis unit, the pts constantly (and i mean constantly) complained that it was way too cold. i gave them several reasons:

1[color=sandybrown].with their blood circulating, it makes them cooler. i mean good grief, it is out of their body!

2.cooler temps inhibit bacterial growth. think about all the body fluids we come in contact with on a daily basis and dialysis pts are soo sick.

3. the staff have to wear the ppe:gloves, gown, face shield. all that is soo hot! there were times that i was sweating and felt like passing out. i am usually a very cold-natured individual, always have my jacket on, etc. having drops of sweat fall on a catheter site or a newly accessed graft/fistula, not good. plus i always joked that if i passed out (being a charge nurse and sometimes the only nurse in the facility), we would have to stop the dialysis for all the pts until i came back to.

believe me when i would take my ppe off to go do something i was very cold too, but the reasons listed above were more important. the pts were allowed to bring blankets from home and i would turn up the heat on the dialysate as long as their bp held stable.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I'm an APN in several dialysis units and they are all way too cold!

Don't know about the CMS guideliness though....

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Specializes in Dialysis.

If I received a nickle for everytime I heard this complaint, I would be able to retire! I have turned up the temp in the room, turned up the temp of the dialysate, turned on the heat in the heated chair, covered them with their multiple blankets and still hear "it is too cold in here." I don't know what more I can do. I am going to suggest to my patients that they bring their own hot water bottles or those microwavable buckwheat pillows. Any other ideas?

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Specializes in pandemic, public health, disasters.

First off, everything you need to know is here:

http://www.cms.hhs.gov/CFCsAndCoPs/13_ESRD.asp

Conditions for Coverage are the requirements set forth that you MUST maintain in order to keep your facility's Medicare number/certification.

Click on the Conditions for Coverage final rule (PDF) and do a search for "temperature."

(2) The dialysis facility must:

(i)Maintain a comfortable temperature within the facility; and

(ii)Make reasonable accommodations for the patients who are not comfortable at this temperature.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

electric blankets. Our BMT checks any electric blanket brought in by a pt before they can use them.

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Specializes in Dialysis (acute & chronic).

CMS has regulated this with the new Conditions of Coverage.

See Section 494.60©(2)(i) and 494.60©(2)(ii) now requires a facility to maintain a comfortable temperature within the facility; and make reasonable accommodations for the patients who are not comfortable at this temperature.

This one is going to be hard to achieve! :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Dialysis.

If cars can have heated seats why can't dialysis chairs?

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Specializes in Dialysis (acute & chronic).
If cars can have heated seats why can't dialysis chairs?

Some facilities do have heated dialysis chairs. They are very expensive! :twocents:

It is my understanding that it is only the seat area and not the back rest portion.

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Specializes in Dialysis.
Some facilities do have heated dialysis chairs. They are very expensive! :twocents:

It is my understanding that it is only the seat area and not the back rest portion.

Any idea what the patients think of them? I love the ones in my car!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

There is a new FMC unit in Streator, IL that has them and as far as I know, they love them. They also have these little TVs that pull in front of the pt which I personally hate because I'm the APN assessing them!

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Specializes in Dialysis (acute & chronic).

They love them, but they do wish the entire chair was heated and not just the seat area.

They also have flat screened TV's with internet service! NICE!!

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