Kidney failure is one of the leading issues for senior citizens in the US. In fact, eighty percent of those with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are 65 years or older. In the span of 9 years, ESRD Medicare costs grew by 11%, reaching $49 billion in 2018. Of course, one of the main treatments for ESRD involves dialysis. It’s time for nursing home dialysis to be improved.
Dialysis is used to treat 70% of ESRD patients, while the other 30% have received kidney transplants. With the treatment schedule for dialysis routinely being 3 days per week or every day, patients in nursing homes are unfortunately having to travel to an outpatient clinic several times a week to receive their treatment. This inconvenient method is not only costly, but can be confusing for some nursing home patients.
Sadly, these outpatient clinics are geared more toward active, middle-aged patients, and they’re ill equipped to satisfy the needs of an elderly population. Not only is the travel disruptive to their daily routines, but outpatient clinics also pose a greater risk for infection, and acute patients simply can’t always find placement.
Nursing homes need an upgrade when it comes to dialysis. They need on-site, 3 day dialysis for residents with ESRD. Providing dialysis on-site would cut treatment time, cut Medicare costs, and better meet the needs of nursing home residents.
Learn more about how to to improve nursing home dialysis in the infographic below:
