Life-Changing Dialysis Treatment Option Now Available For Elderly Patients In Skilled Nursing Facilities

Media, PA /PRNewswire/ - The vast majority of dialysis patients currently receive their treatments in an outpatient dialysis facility. Treatments are usually 3 times a week, with treatment times averaging 5 to 6 hours per visit, including travel time, equipment preparation and wait time. This 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.

Residents in skilled nursing centers 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 now 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 home dialysis in the skilled nursing facility. Under the supervision of very experienced and trained dialysis staff, residents are now able to undergo their dialysis treatments in the comfort of their "home".

This on-site program developed by Reliant Renal Care increases the frequency of treatments to 5 times per week for 2-2.5 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 only 2-2.5 hours they feel better and now have their day back to enjoy other activities and no longer need to be transported to a clinic.

Barbara Bednar, CEO of Reliant Renal Care is a certified nephrology nurse with more than 35 years experience as both a clinician and administrator for some of the largest dialysis companies in the United States. Bednar says, "Reliant Renal Care is dedicated to positively affecting quality of life and improving outcomes with the added benefit of reducing medical costs. People want to experience dialysis differently, and we are in the process of letting providers across Michigan know that RRC can help make that happen, seamlessly and successfully." Visit the RRC website to see video's on what our residents have to say!