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Who can you count on
when you need a ride? There are over 1300 people in our community with
end stage renal disease who receive life sustaining dialysis treatments.
Most dialysis patients are on hemodialysis which requires that they go to a
treatment center three times per week for a 3-4 hour treatment. Some
patients are able to drive themselves, others due to a medical condition are
unable to drive and rely on family and friends to take them to their life
sustaining treatments. What happens when family and friends are not
available?
The Kidney Lift
Volunteer Transportation Program is designed to meet a critical need for
car transportation to and from dialysis treatments and other renal related
appointments. This program is for persons who don't have other
transportation options.
“Periodically family
may need a respite or are ill and can't be available to transport their
loved one to and from dialysis related appointments. What we are finding is
that many of the caregivers are elderly and have significant health problems
themselves,” explained Maria Marseglia, a social worker at the Park Ridge
Dialysis Center.
Kidney Lift provides
rides to clients eligible for services through the National Kidney
Foundation of Upstate New York who due to a lack of transportation would not
be able to access kidney disease-related medical appointments within Monroe
County. Transportation is available for non-emergency appointments. The
service is for clients either applying or pending enrollment in Medicaid, as
identified by Nephrology or Transplant Social Workers.
Kidney Lift is made possible by a collaboration of community volunteer
transportation providers coordinated by Lifespan and funded by Preferred
Care through Rochester Primary Care Network.
For more information or to find out how you can become a Volunteer Kidney
Lift Driver call the NKF of Upstate New York at 585-697-0874.
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