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DaVita Kidney Care

DaVita Kidney Care

How to Choose the Best Dialysis Center for You

How to Choose the Best Dialysis Center for You

Where you receive your dialysis treatments can have a major impact on your lifestyle. The following are some key considerations for when you’re making this big decision.


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Planning for dialysis should take place before you need this form of treatment. When you plan ahead, you have more options and can make more informed decisions that will benefit you both physically and emotionally. One of the biggest decisions you’ll face after deciding on a method of dialysis is where to receive your dialysis treatments.* 

Where is dialysis performed?

If you and your doctor have decided that peritoneal dialysis (PD) is best for you, you will be trained to conduct your treatments at home. In this instance, you will only visit a dialysis center once a month for checkups and to meet with your team. If you’ve chosen hemodialysis (HD), you can choose either home treatments or in-center treatments.

What are some considerations for choosing a dialysis center?

Some considerations for selecting a dialysis center include:

  • Location: Since treatments are performed three times a week and last approximately four hours per session, most people prefer a center that is located near their home or their place of employment. In most cases, Medicare doesn’t pay for transportation to and from dialysis centers.
  • Alternate modalities: In addition to traditional HD, some centers offer nocturnal hemodialysis, which takes place overnight as you sleep for between six and eight hours.
  • Rules and regulations: Dialysis centers may differ on certain things, like scheduling and eating. Not all centers will work around your job, family, and other obligations when scheduling a dialysis appointment, and only some centers allow dialysis patients to eat while receiving treatment.
  • Amenities: Certain centers offer internet access, patient education, and exercise programs to enhance the quality of your sessions and care.
  • Quality ratings: Medicare’s Dialysis Facility Compare website provides quality ratings for dialysis centers by geographical location.

Touring dialysis centers that you’re considering is highly recommended. You can get a feel for the layout and cleanliness, ask questions, and meet some of the people who would make up your dialysis team.

Are there rules about visitors during dialysis treatments?

Policies vary, so it’s important to speak with each center’s specialists about which people—and how many—you’d like to bring with you to a given treatment session. Some centers will only allow family members or close friends. 

The number of people you’re permitted to bring may be limited by space or the potential for disruption to the care team or other patients. You may be required to sign a privacy form for whoever accompanies you.

*DaVita Kidney Care. (n.d.). Choosing a Dialysis Center. https://www.davita.com/treatment-services/dialysis/preparing-for-dialysis/choosing-provider

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