Meet Your Peritoneal Dialysis Care Team
Your home peritoneal dialysis (PD) care team’s goal is not only to keep you at your healthiest, but also to work with you so you can keep doing the things you want to do—whether it’s traveling, working or being with friends and family. You’ll receive support every step of the way. Remember, you are home, but not alone. Ever.
Your nephrologist
Your nephrologist (kidney doctor) is in charge of your treatment plan. He or she will prescribe the right medicines, training and equipment for you to do PD successfully. Your nephrologist will also carefully review your progress during treatment and make any necessary adjustments.
Your peritoneal dialysis nurse
Your home-training nurse will also be your ongoing, main PD nurse who will work with your nephrologist and other team members to make sure your treatment plan is going well.
At first, he or she will teach you how to do at-home PD, including how to take good care of yourself, your equipment and your treatment space. Know that your PD nurse will make sure you have all the steps mastered before you do your treatment on your own. He or she is a great resource for any questions or concerns you may have at any point in your treatment.
Your social worker
At first, dialysis may feel overwhelming since it impacts many areas of your life. Your social worker can help you cope with the emotional ups and downs that come with having a chronic condition. He or she is also your go-to person for everything—insurance questions, work, resources for medicines and financial issues, as well as connecting with local support groups.
Your dietitian
Your renal dietitian will develop a meal plan that is gentle on your kidneys, provides the key nutrients your body needs—and is tailored to the foods you enjoy. Plus doing PD will afford you more flexibility with your plan because you dialyze daily. If you think you're in for bland fare, just check out the tasty recipes of Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr.!
Fresenius kidney care customer service team
This team will work with you to order and manage your dialysis supplies. Your home-training nurse will guide you through this process so you can get off to a smooth start.
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Lean on your loved ones
Ask for support from family members and friends. A strong support network is a big key to succeeding with your treatment plan.
Last—and definitely not least—you
You are, in fact, the star player of your care team. You have an enormous role in whether or not your treatment plan keeps you feeling well and able to do the things you love. Here are some of the things you can do to thrive on PD:
- Be on time for all your training sessions and stay true to your dialysis treatment schedule.
- Always complete your full training and treatment time.
- Ask questions. Take notes. Learn as much as you can during training and going forward. You can never know too much.
- Take care of your catheter and exit site.
- Take your medicines as prescribed by your doctor.
- Keep your scheduled doctor and clinic appointments.
- Follow the customized meal plan given to you by your renal dietitian.
- Start an exercise routine, if your doctor gives you the okay.
- Always tell your care team about any changes or concerns you have with your health, your access site and your supplies and equipment.
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