Dr.Johmson.P.John 20th Aug.21
President KFK
Here are few things Every Dialysis Patient Should Know.
When you develop end stage kidney failure, your kidneys aren’t able to function on their own anymore. This usually occurs when you lose about 85-90% of your kidney function. Dialysis can help those with kidney failure live longer, healthier lives, but as a patient, it may feel overwhelming to make decisions surrounding your treatment. It’s important to realize that when it comes to your care, you have many rights and choices and the KFK encourages all patients to make informed decisions.
You have treatment choices. Options exist for how, where and when you dialyze. Dialysis can be done in a hospital, in a dialysis unit that is not part of a hospital, or at home. You and your doctor will decide which place is best, based on your medical condition and your wishes. There are different types of dialysis – peritoneal and hemodialysis. Work with your health care team to determine a treatment plan that makes you feel comfortable. Recent studies show that the majority of patients beginning in-center hemodialysis (HD) know very little, if anything, about the option to dialyze at home. Once informed, 40% or more of patients are interested in this treatment option, and yet less than 10% actually begin home dialysis. If you’re dissatisfied with the type of dialysis treatment that you’re receiving, ask your healthcare team if another type of dialysis treatment would be better.
To help you make choices about your care, you can compare different facilities side-by-side and evaluate each facility based upon clinic characteristics and quality measures. You can search for dialysis facilities by name or geographic proximity. After completing an initial facility comparison to determine which facilities best meet your needs – such as the number of hemodialysis stations at a particular location and whether there are evening shifts available – visit the facilities that you’re most interested in. Talk to the staff and other patients, as well as your doctor to ensure that this dialysis facility is a good fit for you.
You may need to follow a special diet. When your kidneys are not working properly, you may not be able to eat everything you like, and you may need to limit how much you drink. Your diet may vary according to the type of dialysis you receive. It is important to speak with a renal dietitian so that you are able to understand what you can and cannot eat based on your full health history.
Many dialysis patients can go back to work after they have gotten used to dialysis. After establishing a dialysis routine, many patients have more energy and find that they are able to time to work around this new schedule. Some patients even find creative ways to work remotely from dialysis with the use of a laptop or cell phone, depending on their field of expertise
