Frequently Asked Questions

Physicians are notified of any and all changes including patient condition change, lab results, occurrence reports, and water culture results. The Dialysis Center has an online communication system between the Doctors and the Nurses that are used to update orders, check laboratory results and patient progress within a few minutes. We also utilize standing orders which your physician can sign prior to your admission.

Your on-site Renal Social Workers can provide information about support groups in the area where patients live. The patients will have the opportunity to learn more about renal disease management treatment.

Our dialysis team includes a Renal Dietician who will provide a personal consultation for patients and work with your healthcare providers in meeting patients' dietary & personal health needs. This includes providing you with lists of nutrition facts and healthy recipes.

Screenings and background checks, including criminal records, drug screening, DMV, licensure & references, are performed for all CDC personnel.

Even though the patient is at home, the patient is never alone. Our facility has a call service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A home health professional is just a phone call away. If, however, a complication does occur, the patient or partner may always call 911 immediately or contact the physician directly. If the patient is doing HHD or home PD, the caregiver will assist with any problems.

Medicare pays for Peritoneal Dialysis cost, supplies and training. Medicare does not pay for Nurse Assisted Home Hemodialysis. The cost for nurse assisted home dialysis can be covered by Private, Commercial Health Insurance or self-pay.

Other sources that help pay for dialysis include private or commercial insurance, some managed care organizations, Medicaid, and Veterans Administration. If a patient has an employer group health plan, this will be the primary coverage for the first 30 months of treatment with Medicare as the second insurer. After those first 30 months, Medicare will become the primary insurer.

PD is associated with patient survival advantages when compared with HD during the first 2 years on dialysis. Unlike saw-tooth treatment with HD, PD delivers a more steady-state treatment, avoiding fluctuations in plasma volume and solutes, and is generally better tolerated by patients with cardiovascular compromise. PD provides flexible schedules, allowing patients to work, travel, and participate in daytime activities. As PD does not involve needlesticks, patient anxiety is mitigated, arteriovenous access sites for future HD are preserved, and the risk of acquiring blood-borne infections is minimized. Residual renal function (RRF) is better preserved on PD than HD and is associated with improved outcomes. PD patients also have better long- and short-term transplant outcomes.