FAQ

If you’re trying to make a decision about whether you’d like to opt for staff-assisted home dialysis or home dialysis treatment, then it’s important for you to consider the differences between these two options. While both options offer greater freedom and comfort than in-center treatment, they each have different things to offer patients. You’ll need to consider what you want your lifestyle to be like before you make a decision on which dialysis option is best for you.

One of the biggest differences between staff-assisted home dialysis and home dialysis is who performs your treatment. If you just opt for home dialysis, you will eventually have to perform dialysis treatment yourself. In the beginning, you will be trained by a medical professional to administer the treatment and be given advice about keeping records of your treatment. However, once this training is complete, you’ll be responsible for doing it on your own. With staff-assisted home dialysis, you won’t have to complete the treatment on your own. Instead, a licensed nurse will be responsible for doing it for you each and every visit.

With staff-assisted home dialysis treatment, there is no need for a care partner. Freedom at Home Dialysis Support team includes: Your licensed and experienced Dialysis Nurse who administers your treatment will support you, and you’ll always be under the supervision of your Nephrologist. Your Nephrologist will follow up with you monthly either by seeing you at your place of residence or his/her office every month. You can always have your family continue to support you, but you won’t need to take up much as much of their time. Your Renal Dietician will perform an initial visit to your place of residence to review your health history and educate you and your family on your dietary regimen. The Renal Dietician will follow up with your care at least once a month. Your Renal Social Worker will also perform an initial visit at your place of residence and assess your overall social, emotional, and medical condition to assist you with appropriate resources for you and your family. Your Renal Social Worker will follow up with you monthly to ensure that proper support is always available for you.

Another big difference between home dialysis treatment and staff-assisted home dialysis is the schedule that you set your dialysis on. When you’re responsible for administering your treatments, there are lots of things that you must consider when you set your schedule, such as how tired or how well you feel every day. You may have to do your dialysis when you’re not feeling up to it, and that can lead to mistakes or unfortunate side effects. With staff-assisted home dialysis, you won’t be responsible for the treatment, so you will be able to undergo it even if you are feeling tired. Your nurse will take care of it, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Insurance Accepted

We are a credentialed managed care provider for the following commercial Insurance companies: Molina Health Care, Superior Health Plan, United Health Care (UHC) and Cigna. We DO NOT accept Traditional Medicare or Medicaid plans.

No, Staff Assisted Dialysis is not a covered benefit under Traditional Medicare.

Admission Qualifier Categories

1. Wound Care (Complicated Wound Issues)
2. Bed Bound Patient (Requiring Stretcher And Ambulance Transport)
3. Tracheostomy
4. Morbidly Obese Patients (Declined By Centers)
5. Dementia/Alzheimer’s/Mental Retardation
6. Psychological Disorder
7. Immunocompromised (Chemotherapy/Complex Post Hospital Dc)
8. In-Center Non-Compliance And Receiving Hospital Dialysis
9. Failed Pd With Complications
10. Post Surgery Complications

• The patient is categorized as “non-admission” to a dialysis in-center facility.
• The patient is stable on dialysis and is not at increased risk as a result of the procedure being performed outside of a dialysis center; and
• The patient has normal vascular access; and
• There are medical reasons why the patient should not leave home for hemodialysis. and
• The patient or a non-professional caregiver is unable to perform home hemodialysis;

The protocols used in staff-assisted home hemodialysis are often the same as those used at hemodialysis clinics.

(i.e., at least three times a week, for three to four-hour sessions)
(i.e., at least 3 times per week, 3-4 hour treatments). The exact dialysis therapy used is determined by the attending Nephrologist on an individual basis.

Dialysis patients above 12 years of age can qualify for Staff Assist Dialysis if:

• The patient is above 90 lbs on dry weight.
• The patient Pediatric Nephrologist will refer and continue to follow the patient.
• There should always be someone at the patient’s residence over 21 years old during dialysis treatment, preferably the patient’s family.

Consult your Nephrologist or hospital Case Manager if the patient is still in the hospital. Then:

• Call our office at 972-772-2565 to receive a free consultation regarding your insurance eligibility.
• Once your insurance is verified as eligible to begin services, we perform a home evaluation.
• If the home is appropriate, a water sample is done and a dialysis machine will be installed.
• Once the equipment is installed your nurse will begin your home hemodialysis. You will always have a licensed and dialysis experienced nurse to administer your hemodialysis EVERY VISIT, EVERY TIME.