This article was published on the McKnights Long-Term Care News website and written by Brian Wallace on August 31, 2021. You can view the full article on the McKnights website: https://www.mcknights.com/marketplace/marketplace-experts/changing-the-paradigm-of-dialysis-in-nursing-homes/

Here is a little snippet from this article:

Dialysis can no longer be business as usual.  While many may feel that we live in a post-pandemic society, we have data to suggest otherwise, as there have been spikes across the nation, mostly from a combination of the unvaccinated and the highly contagious delta variant.

As of 2018, 786,000 people in the U.S. were living with end-stage renal disease, known as ESRD for short. About 80% of ESRD patients are 65 or older. Coincidentally, the 65 and older group is also the most vulnerable when it comes to the effects of coronavirus.

While some ESRD patients are lucky enough to receive a functioning kidney transplant, 70% of patients with ESRD must undergo dialysis to stay alive and healthy. Despite the statistics, large dialysis providers center their designs around the needs of active, middle-aged dialysis patients. By making the overwhelming majority of hemodialysis treatment available only at outpatient clinics, providers put nursing home residents in a risky, inconvenient position.