Room Temperature

anurseadvocate · Mar 26, 2010

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!

The new revised regulations address room temperature and to recall state that there should basically be a happy medium between that which is comfortable for patients and staff. I do not recall seeing any temperature degree. If you go to the CMS website you can find copy of the regulations. There are always complaints about temperature and it is unfortunate as patients are under enough emotional and physical stress to have another added problem of being cold. In the past most, or many units, set the temperatures to be comfortable more for staff than patients. This is just my opinion.... but from talking with many...

It would be nice if all units had copies of regulations... for reference.

anurseadvocate · Mar 26, 2010

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!

It would be nice is all FMC units had heated chairs.

anurseadvocate · Mar 26, 2010

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.

i contacted the cdc a while back when i heard a nurse say that the room temperature needed to be cold to inhibit the growth of bacteria.. the response was no... that is just not true and i do not know why staff tell patients that...... perhaps looking at where the vents are blowing e.g. are they blowing cold air directly on patients? the regulations state.... it should be comfortable for staff and patients.

Chisca, RN · Mar 30, 2010

Not only heat but a massage!

http://www.renalweb.com/newads/diasol_showcase.html

Tish88 · Mar 31, 2010

Not only heat but a massage!
http://www.renalweb.com/newads/diasol_showcase.html

I would like one of those in my living room after a long days work at the dialysis clinic!!! :clown:

anurseadvocate · Mar 31, 2010

sometimes the air vents are blowing directly onto patients, sometimes, the air conditioning/heating systems are not working.. One patient brought an umbrella to the unit to prevent the cold air from blowing directly onto her.

IceInTheBack · Jan 15, 2020

It seems to me that the care and concern be for the patients, and not so much the nurses or techs... Give me a break... I have been in those rooms... Sometimes they are 62 degrees and the patients are all freezing. But, you know what? I can handle it just fine!

I have fought with Davita for months... My stepfather will walk in, take a reading with his handheld thermometer, if it is below 65, he up and walks out... Tell me, at what point does this become a concern?

Poor Little Nurses and Techs... Grow Up... You chose this job, if it's too cold for you, go elsewhere where your temperature challenged sensibilities are more in line with what YOU need, and not so much for the patients... I mean, they do have a choice about being there, right? Yeah OK!

So, I have talked to the director of the facility, I have rallied the patients and they all complain about the cold...Promises are made, but nothing is done to keep the place warm... Not asking for 85 degrees for chrissakes... How about 68-70?

I'm ready to call Medicare/Medicaid and file a complaint... Who, where do I call? I'm tired of my stepfather being miserable just to stay alive... Not really fair to me, is it to you?

rzyzzy · Jan 22, 2020

On 1/15/2020 at 9:58 AM, IceInTheBack said:
It seems to me that the care and concern be for the patients, and not so much the nurses or techs... Give me a break... I have been in those rooms... Sometimes they are 62 degrees and the patients are all freezing. But, you know what? I can handle it just fine!
I have fought with Davita for months... My stepfather will walk in, take a reading with his handheld thermometer, if it is below 65, he up and walks out... Tell me, at what point does this become a concern?
Poor Little Nurses and Techs... Grow Up... You chose this job, if it's too cold for you, go elsewhere where your temperature challenged sensibilities are more in line with what YOU need, and not so much for the patients... I mean, they do have a choice about being there, right? Yeah OK!
So, I have talked to the director of the facility, I have rallied the patients and they all complain about the cold...Promises are made, but nothing is done to keep the place warm... Not asking for 85 degrees for chrissakes... How about 68-70?
I'm ready to call Medicare/Medicaid and file a complaint... Who, where do I call? I'm tired of my stepfather being miserable just to stay alive... Not really fair to me, is it to you?

Fwiw, you’ll catch more flies with honey - nurses and techs don’t run Davita or Fresenius - they’re both for-profit companies that make lots of money by exploiting and shortchanging the people that actually care for your family members. There are government required postings in the lobby with contact information for both senior management and local government agencies that will take your complaints..

amoLucia · Jan 22, 2020

Don't think I saw it posted here but maybe a reason it's so chilly is that a lower ambient room temp is needed to maintain the room's temp from becoming too warm.

Yeah, I know that sounds silly, but those multiple machines MUST give off operating heat.

I remember my first jobs in the early 1970s, way back when the computers were HUGE MONSTROUS BEHEMOTHS. And in the computer rooms were multiple IBM keypunch/verifers, sorters and printers. The computer room HAD TO BE MAINTAINED at a low temp because of all the heat that the equip generated. And the computer manager had to record room temps. We would actually have to shut down operations when the temp couldn't be managed, esp in the summer.

I don't know if that info makes much difference. But it was a REAL reason for the chill. We gals just wore thick sweaters.

Don't know if that's an applicable rationale for the dialysis rooms. You might want to check with environmental engineers or equipment manufacturers for requirements or recommendations.

It would make sense that CMS/Medicare/Medicaid would have to yield to those suggestions for machine operational safety.

JMHO from one who is chronically cold now as I've aged.

AlabamaBelle · Feb 9, 2020

Some centers have the nice chairs with heat and vibration. I was in a Peds unit and even the 5 year olds hit those two buttons first!