It is a good example of how a partnership can meet community, resident and hospital needs, says Jane Freeman, administrator of Extendicare St. Catharines.

Hotel Dieu in St.Catharines had residents requiring peritoneal dialysis waiting for long term care placement but no long term care home in the region was accepting residents that required this complex treatment, Jane explains.

“We had a request from Hotel Dieu and collaborated with them as to how we could accommodate one or two peritoneal dialysis residents,” Jane says. “We went for a tour at the hospital and met with the manager responsible for the dialysis unit at the hospital.”

Hospital staff then toured Extendicare to check out the layout and determine if the installation of a dialysis machine would be feasible.

One major roadblock was the fact that nurses at Extendicare were not familiar with the peritoneal dialysis treatment. “Our staff was eager to get the necessary education,” Jane says.

Training at Hotel Dieu was followed by certified training through Community Care Access Centre Niagara, provided by nurses specializing in dialysis training. “All 12 of our RNs are now certified,” Jane says.

The dialysis machine and attendant equipment were brought to Extendicare and a Hotel Dieu patient was transferred to the home. The resident is hooked up to the dialysis machine overnight and closely monitored. The hospital works closely with the home to ensure the resident’s needs are being met.

The only downside is that the dialysis procedure is very time-consuming for staff, Jane says. It takes an hour, for example, just to hook the patient up to the machine. The results are definitely worth the effort, she adds.

That admission happened six months ago and the results have been satisfying for the resident, the home and the hospital, Jane says. “Our resident looks absolutely wonderful,” she says. “Her daughter who wasn’t sure about the move at first, is also delighted with the results.”

Hotel Dieu has sent the staff at Extendicare a letter of congratulations for taking up the challenge.