In 2018, 786,000 Americans were living with end stage renal disease; 80% are above the age of 65. Medicare spends $49 billion a year on treatment for end stage renal disease, including $93,191 per patient on hemodialysis. Even so, dialysis treatment often ignores the needs of senior patients, especially those living in nursing homes.
Nursing home residents have two options for hemodialysis treatment: conventional dialysis or daily dialysis. Conventional dialysis takes place at an outpatient treatment center three days a week. Daily dialysis can be done at home, but treatments take as much as three times longer per week. While more convenient, daily dialysis carries greater risk of complications.
Conventional treatment is prescribed to 98% of nursing home patients who need dialysis. However, traveling to an outpatient clinic can be disrupting and confusing for many nursing home residents and increases the risk of infectious diseases and the risk of COVID-19.
Learn how dialysis in nursing homes can be improved in the following infographic:
Infographic by: concertors
