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25 Ways to Find Joy and Balance During the Holidays

2024-03-28T20:59:45-04:00December 1st, 2018|Categories: Blog, Fact Sheet, Mental Health, Stress Management|

By Steve Wilson (download PDF) Feeling down during the holidays can be tough, especially since you seem so out of step with the world. Everyone else seems to be beaming, ruddy-cheeked, bursting with holiday spirit. You’re feeling wretched and exhausted. But here’s something to cheer you up the next time you’re stuck in a room of revelers at a holiday party. Plenty of them are probably unhappy, too. Recommendations Related to Depression Are You at Risk for Depression? Knowing what factors increase your risk of having major depression may help you get the best medical help when you need it. Depression [...]

What’s So Funny About Kidney Disease?

2024-03-28T20:59:50-04:00November 16th, 2018|Categories: eNews, Humor and Laughter, News & Events, Quality of Life, Webinar|

Download the flier Have you giggled or laughed out loud today? Or yesterday? Or last week? Laughter is considered one of the best medicines we have, and we want you to start seeing its benefits! Join us to learn more about the health benefits of laughter and how to find humor in your life as you live with chronic kidney disease. Find out when Steve Wilson, a clinical psychologist and founder of the World Laughter Tour, interviews Karyn Buxman, RN. When: December 12, 2018 at 2:00 PM ET, 1:00 PM CT, 12:00 PM MT, 11:00 AM PT What: DPC [...]

Everything You Need to Know About Beating the Holiday Blues and Post-Holiday Let Down

2024-03-28T20:59:53-04:00November 1st, 2018|Categories: Blog, Mental Health, News & Events, Quality of Life, Stress Management|

By Steve Wilson (download PDF) Emotionally Loaded Months You probably can guess why October, November and December are called the “emotionally loaded” quarter of the year. The post-holiday period has emotional perils, too, but probably not what you think they are. What can you do to have an easier time of it all? To do a really good job of managing holiday stresses, you will need some sense of control, some sense of predictability, some optimism, and some solid practical strategies. The information in this article will help you be smarter about holiday stress, so you can beat it before it beats [...]

Laugh Will and Testament: Using Humor to Contemplate Mortality and Enjoy Life Recording and Slides

2024-03-28T20:59:54-04:00October 28th, 2018|Categories: eNews, Humor and Laughter, News & Events, Quality of Life, Webinar|

If you were unable to attend our last education seminar, the recording is now available! Please see the video and links below for details. We want to keep getting better. Please help us by sharing your comments and suggestions here: Webinar Review Download the handouts. Download the slides. Tears study article mentioned during the presentation. View the Recording:

Bad News for Individuals with Kidney Disease That Use Marijuana

2024-03-28T20:59:55-04:00October 27th, 2018|Categories: eNews, News & Events, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Stress Management, Treatment|

Individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) that use marijuana may lose function of their kidneys more rapidly than non-users, as found in one study. Researchers compared the mean annual rate of decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) among the two groups of participants. The eGFR was 3.22 mL/min/1.73 m2 among marijuana users and 1.42 mL/min/1.73 m2 among non-users. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) measures kidney function effectiveness by documenting how well the kidneys are filtering the blood. Scientists did not observe a decline in kidney function among individuals that use marijuana and do not have CKD. Read the full article.

Positive Psychology Exercises May Help Dialysis Patients Combat Depression

2024-03-28T20:59:59-04:00October 13th, 2018|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, Treatment|

Dialysis patients that participated in technology-based positive psychology exercises reported “significantly” lower symptoms of depression and saw improvements in “quality of life, emotional well-being, physical vigor and social interactions,” as published by one study. The exercises focused on building on the patient’s “personal strengths, cultivating gratitude and using positive reappraisal to reinterpret events.” The findings may provide alternatives for dialysis patients who are looking for ways to manage their depression. Depression is the most common psychiatric illness among individuals with kidney failure, with occurrence ranging from 22.8 to 39.3 percent as reported by a group of researchers. Patients in the study [...]

Mindfulness May Help Dialysis Patients Decrease Pain

2024-03-28T21:00:06-04:00September 17th, 2018|Categories: eNews, Mental Health, News & Events, Physical Health, Quality of Life, Treatment|Tags: |

An article published by Medical News Today reports that mindfulness may be an effective way for some people to decrease chronic pain, and mindfulness meditation may decrease pain more effectively than some standard treatments. The findings may provide alternatives for dialysis patients who are looking for ways to manage their pain. Mindfulness is the state of an individual being present and aware of their actions and surroundings in a way that is not exceedingly reactive or anxious. Some people have a predisposition to being more mindful, and thus report lower levels of pain on average. However, mindfulness can be increased with [...]

US Department of Labor Protects Living Organ Donors

2024-03-28T21:00:08-04:00September 5th, 2018|Categories: Employment, eNews, Kidney Transplant, News & Events, Treatment|

The US Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division published an opinion letter last week stating that surgery for people who donate an organ qualifies as a “serious health condition” under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The letter may provide reassurance to individuals that are considering donating a kidney, but are concerned about losing their jobs due to being away for surgery or post-surgery care. About the Family and Medical Leave Act The FMLA allows “eligible employees of covered employers” the ability to take 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during a 12-month period for certain family and medical conditions. [...]

Social Security Offers Programs to Help Individuals Who Are Disabled Transition to Employment

2024-03-28T21:00:11-04:00August 12th, 2018|Categories: Employment, eNews|

Social Security provides work incentives and its Ticket to Work program to help people who receive disability benefits and are interested in working. The employment programs are meant to prepare people for work and ease the transition to employment. For those that get a job and later discover they are unable to work, it is possible to receive disability benefits again. In addition, filing a new application may not be necessary. Work Incentives Benefit Summary Social Security offers work incentives to make the transition to employment easier. Some of the benefits include: Cash benefits - Continuing to receive disability cash benefits for a period [...]

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