Bone Mineral Disorder: Calcium, Vitamin D and Phosphorus
During this webinar, you will learn about: 1) The relationship between kidney disease and your bones, 2) Bone Mineral Disease and 3) How diet impacts renal bone mineral disorder.
Advancing Care Coordination for Dialysis Patients: An Update
By Jackson Williams, Vice President of Public Policy, Dialysis Patient Citizens Efforts to modernize the delivery of quality care to dialysis patients reach several milestones in 2020: Medicare’s first care coordination program for kidney care, the Comprehensive ESRD Care Model, expires at the end of this year; providers have been invited to participate in a new program, the Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting Model; end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients will, in October, for the first time have access to their choice of Medicare Advantage plans effective January 1, 2021; and a new bill is being introduced in Congress to create another integrated [...]
Treatment of Hyperkalemia in Dialysis Patients
Hyperkalemia is a potentially life-threatening electrolyte disorder and is more often seen in people who have End Stage Kidney Disease than the general public. For people WITHOUT kidney failure, potassium, an important mineral within the body, helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals. When people eat more potassium than their body needs, the kidneys filter and excrete out any extra through the urine. However, when the kidneys do not work, potassium can build up in the blood and cause hyperkalemia/high potassium. You can learn more about foods high in potassium and hyperkalemia in Issue 10 of our patient newsletter, [...]
Reflections from 45 Years on Dialysis
By Jack Reynolds, DPC Board Member I have survived on in-center hemodialysis for the last 45 years. I have also received Medicare for all those years to pay for most of my dialysis and other medical needs. I currently reside outside the village of Palmyra, Iowa. One of the first group of Patient Ambassadors to advocate in Washington, D.C. in 2005, I have visited Capitol Hill many times since. Because of the cost, time and effort it takes to keep a kidney patient healthy, I feel that it is important to be aware of issues and legislation that can impact our [...]
The Kidney Citizen Issue 11
An article in Spanish; reflections on 45 years on dialysis; care coordination; 4 whole grains to add to your diet; and more!
Beyond Sanitizing and Social Distancing–A Healthy Circadian Rhythm May Keep You Sane and Increase Resilience to Fight COVID-19
By Satchin Panda, University of California San Diego Social distancing and washing hands have become the frontline in the fight against COVID-19, but there is another powerfully protective resource immediately available to all: your circadian rhythm. I head a lab that researches circadian rhythms, the daily cycles of bodily functions that form the foundation of good health. These body clocks, found in nearly every organ of the body and part of the brain, are central and vital to a properly functioning immune system. A synchronized circadian rhythm in the lungs, heart, kidney and brain ensures that the processes in our [...]
Connect with the DPC Ed Center on Social Media
The DPC Ed Center is now on Instagram and LinkedIn! Be sure to follow us to learn about our latest webinars, online courses, education materials, resources and more. In addition to these platforms, you can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Use the links below to get started: Instagram LinkedIn Facebook Twitter YouTube
The COVID-19 Explosion—Lessons from New York—What Kidney Patients Should Know
During this webinar you will learn the latest on: 1) What kidney patients need to do (dialysis & transplant), 2) What dialysis facilities are doing and 3) What we can learn from New York’s COVID-19 experience.
COVID-19 Resources for Dialysis Patients
Updated May 6, 2020 Earlier this month the President signed the “Families First Coronavirus Response Act,” which is a bill that will increase funding to several federal programs in response to the COVID-19 viral outbreak. The bill aids Americans in the areas of healthcare (including COVID-19 testing), nutrition, paid sick leave, unemployment, family and medical leave, and more. Below is a list of resources for dialysis patients to help them get additional support during the COVID-19 viral outbreak and beyond. Resource topics include: disability, financial assistance, nutrition, healthcare, housing and utilities, jobs, transportation, women and children, daily living, and staying [...]
Dialysis–A Gift for Me
Irwin Dunsky By Irwin Dunsky I found out my kidneys were disintegrating about seven years ago. They were working about thirty-five percent. I stated watching some of the things I was eating and a year later they were at thirty percent. My doctor told me that soon I would have to get a new kidney if I didn’t watch it. My kidneys kept going down, and four years ago they reached twenty percent functioning. I went to three hospitals to get on a kidney transplant list. They all told me that my heart was a risk factor that they [...]