51暗网 of a new three-unit permanent dialysis service in Hinton is giving hope to at least one Jasper family.
About a year ago, 80-year-old Rita Odorizzi found out she would need dialysis treatment twice a week for her kidney disease. However, because Jasper doesn鈥檛 have dialysis services, Odorizzi and her family were forced to look elsewhere for treatment.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 an optional service. This is a life-and-death service,鈥� said Susan Richards, Odorizzi鈥檚 daughter.
Odorizzi eventually found a temporary seat on Alberta Health Services鈥� (AHS) mobile dialysis bus, which is only capable of serving five patients in Hinton and five in Whitecourt.
鈥淢y mom was able to go to the bus for a while because there was a woman who was going to Edmonton for her treatment, but when she came back my mom had to give her back the seat,鈥� said Richards. 鈥淎fter that we had to start looking again.鈥�
To get the treatment, Odorizzi was forced to leave Jasper鈥攈er home for nearly 60 years鈥攆or a seniors鈥� home in Edmonton. Since then she has been on a waitlist for Hinton services, hoping to move back home with her family.
鈥淚 live here and my sister lives here and we have no one in Edmonton. My mom has family and friends to support her here. It was unfair for her to be totally uprooted,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been on the waitlist for almost a year, and we鈥檝e been hopeful that she鈥檒l be able to come back here with us.鈥�
However, those hopes were almost dashed last spring when AHS announced the nearly nine-year-old dialysis bus was nearing the end of its lifespan, sparking rumours that Hinton patients would be forced to travel to the dialysis unit at the new Edson Healthcare Centre, for treatment after the mobile unit was shut down.
鈥淭hat just wouldn鈥檛 be an option. The treatment alone takes about four hours, so to add four hours of driving wouldn鈥檛 be realistic for us,鈥� Richards said.
At the time, Hinton patients spearheaded a petition, lobbying for local dialysis service if the mobile service was discontinued. Richards also brought the petition to Jasper, collecting nearly 700 signatures.
鈥淭his is an issue that goes beyond my mom,鈥� Richards said.
However, before the petition was presented to AHS, the agency announced dialysis services would continue in Hinton and Whitecourt.
鈥淲e reached out and engaged with eight patients currently served by the dialysis bus to work with them to determine the best care plan to continue to receive dialysis. We met face-to-face with each of them in late September,鈥� wrote Kerry Williamson, communications director for the AHS North Zone. 鈥淯nderstandably, they expressed a strong desire to continue to receive service in their home community, and to preserve the current service in their community.
鈥淲e took their feedback seriously, and agreed that a reduction in service was not in the community鈥檚 best interests, and came up with a plan to keep dialysis services in Hinton and Whitecourt.鈥�
The new unit will provide treatment for six patients鈥攐ne more than the bus.
Odorizzi is the only person from Jasper on the waitlist for Hinton Services. Williamson said Odorizzi is currently at the top of that list.
While the news is a welcomed sigh of relief for Richards, she still has worries.
鈥淲e have a lot of seniors in this town and we have a lot of people my age that are going to be the next seniors,鈥� Richards said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 bad enough to get the disease and to be on dialysis, but if you鈥檙e a person who lives in Jasper then not only is your whole life turned upside down medically, but now you have to consider leaving your home.鈥�
Williamson said for right now there is simply not enough demand to warrant a dialysis unit in Jasper.
AHS is currently working to finalize timelines for Hinton鈥檚 new unit, and will share further information as it comes. Right now work is being planned to develop the dialysis units within the Whitecourt and Hinton healthcare centres. Before they can open, AHS also needs to recruit and train nurses in hemodialysis.
鈥淲hen they (AHS) called me to let us know they said it could be up to a year so it鈥檚 still going to be a long road ahead, but we鈥檙e hopeful,鈥� Richards said.
Kayla Byrne
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