Beginning the Dialysis Adventure
By Thomas Lepetich , MSW , LCSW Have you been told you may need to start dialysis soon ? Although starting on dialysis can be a very strenuous time in your life , you will also start to feel better . Usually , people who start dialysis are uremic , psychologically stunned , medically compromised and just plain old “ out of sorts .” And the last thing you want to do is to fill out forms . Perhaps it will be easier to complete forms , read information from your healthcare team and get additional tests or vaccinations if you understand their purpose . Your dialysis team wants to provide you with the best care possible . To do that , outpatient dialysis units have numerous Medicare standards to meet . Dialysis facilities have to comply with local , State and Federal rules and laws which were developed for your safety and quality of care .
The Federal regulations that govern dialysis clinics are known as the End Stage Renal Disease – Conditions for Coverage . https :// www . cms . gov / Medicare / Provider-Enrollmentand-Certification / SurveyCertificationGenInfo / downloads / SCletter09-01 . pdf In these series of articles , we intend to create a time line for all the information that Medicare wants dialysis units to educate you on . The purpose of this education is to keep you fully informed and “ engaged ” in decisions about your healthcare . You are an important member of your health care team !
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IN THE FIRST WEEK OF DIALYSIS : A . Tests and Vaccinations PPD Skin Test : Done initially and only repeated if clinically necessary . It is a test that determines if you have been exposed to tuberculosis ( TB ). Both patients and staff receive annual PPD Skin Tests . PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINE : CDC recommends initial vaccines and then revaccination five years later , until the age of 65 years old . Pneumococcal Disease can lead to pneumonia , meningitis and sepsis .