The vast majority of dialysis patients currently receive their treatments in an outpatient dialysis facility. Treatments are usually three times a week, with treatment times averaging five to six hours per visit, including travel time, equipment preparation and wait time.
The regimen can be hard on a patient, but especially grueling for patients who are elderly and frail. Many elderly dialysis patients are residents of a skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers for some duration of time.
They currently are being transported by van or ambulance to a nearby dialysis clinic and often endure long waits, lengthy travel times, inclement weather, interrupted meals, medications, missed activities at their nursing facility and other therapies they may be receiving.
Reliant Renal Care, a multi-state dialysis provider, has developed a new and more efficient method of providing hemodialysis to elderly residents by partnering with skilled nursing facilities in Pennsylvania to provide mobile, on-site in-facility home dialysis. Under the supervision of trained dialysis staff, residents are able to undergo their dialysis treatments in the comfort of their “home.”
The on-site program increases the frequency of treatments to five times per week for two to two-and-a-half hours each treatment. Research has demonstrated that more frequent treatments of shorter duration, has improved clinical outcomes such as hospitalizations, increased energy, reduced medications and improved quality of life.
Residents have reported by dialyzing for the shorter period they feel better, have their day back to enjoy other activities, and no longer need to be transported to a clinic, according to Reliant Renal Care.