Most people in the United States on hemodialysis have their treatments at a dialysis center. At the dialysis center, nurses and patient care technicians do most of the tasks, such as setting up the machine and inserting the needles. You will have a team of health care workers to help you with various needs. In addition to the nurses and patient care technicians, your health care team will include.
- your doctor
- a dietitian
- a social worker
If you choose treatments in a dialysis center, you will have a fixed time slot, usually three times per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. If you work or have children to care for, you will need to consider that when choosing a dialysis schedule. Some dialysis centers offer nighttime treatments. This treatment occurs over a longer period while you sleep 3 nights a week at the center. Getting longer overnight dialysis treatments means
- your days are free
- fewer diet changes
- your liquid allowance (how much liquid you can drink) is closer to normal.
- you may have a better quality of life than with a standard hemodialysis schedule. Longer treatment sessions may reduce your symptoms.
Your doctor, nurse, or social worker can help you find a dialysis center that is convenient for you. You have the right to choose the dialysis center where you will receive treatment. Your doctor will give your medical information to the dialysis center you choose.
Most large cities have more than one dialysis center to choose from. You can visit the centers to see which one best fits your needs. For example, you can ask about their rules for laptop and cell phone use as well as for having visitors.
You may want the center to be close to your home to reduce your travel time. If you live in a rural area, the closest dialysis center may be far from your home and require a lot of travel time. If you would have a hard time getting to the dialysis center, you may want to consider home dialysis treatments, such as home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis.
To help you choose a dialysis center, the Dialysis Facility Compare website , gives quality ratings for all U.S. dialysis centers. The website is maintained by Medicare, the Federal Government health insurance agency that pays most of the costs of hemodialysis and the other treatments for kidney failure. If you have supplemental insurance, your health plan may also have a list of centers you can use.