Dialysis Patient Advocacy Association

Organizational Ideas

Pick your Partners

From the start this idea was to bring patients together for the good of other patients.
In the real world we will always have people who will walk the extra mile to bring goodness to the lives of others and ultimately themselves.

Of course then there are those who will always be "the naysayers", who will find fault but never offer anything but their doubts.

We cannot forget those who will take a peek and say "this is just too hard". You must have vision.

Choose well, this will be the basis for your Dialysis Center's patient association group. You will meet,dicuss problems,find solutions, and create ideas all within your own unit. Once a month we will meet in a public facility. This is where you can bring your ideas to the "Big Table" for support and more ideas.

We will find that we sometimes have similar problems and we may discover that someone else just may have the solution. We may decide to have a great late summer picnic and pool our resources to pull it off.

We will have a collective: power, knowledge,resources,contacts and energy. We will not have to work as hard because we will put into practice the old saying " many hands make light work".

Fishing Tips for Lead People

1. Use good bait - use the flyers we will provide for you.
This will stimulate interest. You may not want to leave but a few lying in your waiting area. Ask if you can post one on the bulletin board if you have one. If you do not have one, we will put that at the top of your UNIT NEEDS list.

2.Get 'em when their biting - after dialysis is not an ideal time, before is usually better. Normally your first recruit will be someone on your own shift. Go in a little early or stay a little late depending on your shift. Look for people who talk. Keep in mind even people who complain are at least vocal. Talkers are what we need.

3. Pull them in quickly - Once you have a nibble, invite them to take over their shift. Ask them. Tell them we really need someone just like them to help get the word out. Give them an information sheet and a contact number. It will greatly improve chances if you give them your number.

Recruiting goes a little easier if we have the support of the unit or center. While really they have only to gain from the Association they may fear this will "only cause problems". If you meet with this kind of opposition, relax and realize you are not alone. We will support you.

4. Count your fishies - They should line up quite nicely as 3 people from Monday,Wednesday,Friday on 1st shift, 2nd shift, 3rd shift. Three more from the Tuesday,Thursday,Saturday group. Six people to lead and form an intrastructure within that unit, along with you, the lead person as unit association coordinator. Seven in each of the ten units give us 70 individuals with 70 differents talents and perspectives.

As lead person you must remember that your job is to Recruit,Inform and Lead. Lead your unit in forming ideas and solutions.

Keep it simple

As we group so we will also learn.
Our first agenda is to Form our association.
As we organize we will have to set aside our own ideas and listen to each other. We can always change something if we are in agreement.
Once we have in place the first lead person we will meet monthly.
Future plans are to have the collective group meet as whole quarterly. That means we will have to look ahead with a yearly calendar in the works at all times. We will use this website to communicate.

Email us ghighi123@hotmail.com