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www.haltonhealthcare.com

NEPHROLOGY PROGRAM

Dialysis Patient Handbook

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The Kidney Foundation:

www.kidney.ca

Dialysis At Sea Cruises:

wwwdialysisatsea.com

Island Dialysis:

www.islanddialysis.com

U.S. Dialysis Centre Locator:

www.dialysisfinder.com

The Nephron Information

Centre: www.nephron.com

RESOURCES

Table of Contents

My Information………………………………………...3

Welcome…………………………………………...….4

Your Healthcare Team…………………………..…...5-6

Dialysis Locations…………………………………...…7

General Information……………………………...……8

Home Hemodialysis…………………...……………9-10

Protecting Your Forearm Veins…………………..……11

Preparing for Dialysis………………………...………..12

During Dialysis…………………………………..….….13

Your Medications……………………………….……..14

Living With Kidney Disease…………….……………..15

Infection Prevention and Control………...….………..16

Telephone Directory …………………...……...……...16

Notes…………………………………………...……..17

Please Note: The information

presented here may be subject to

change. If you require assistance

accessing any of the information

presented in this handbook, please

contact 905-338-4492.

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My Information

My Name: ___________________________________________

My Dialysis Centre: Oakville Burlington

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My Nephrologist: _____________________________________________________________

My Social Worker: ____________________________________________________________

My Dietitian: ________________________________________________________________

My Pharmacist:_______________________________________________________________

My dialysis schedule:

Morning _________________

Afternoon________________

Evening _________________

Monday-Wednesday-Friday_______________

Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday_______________

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Welcome! This handbook is designed to answer questions you may have

about receiving your hemodialysis treatments from Halton

Healthcare, whether it be at one of our locations, or in the

comfort of your home.

As you adjust to your treatment plan, we want you to know that

we are here to help. If you have any questions or concerns, ask

any member of your healthcare team.

Purpose

The Halton Healthcare Dialysis Program strives to provide quality

care to patients with acute or chronic renal failure who require

hemodialysis management.

Our Philosophy

We, the staff, believe in:

Your right to be actively involved as partners in your care.

Individual treatments based on your unique needs.

Your right to informed consent.

Ensuring safe dialysis treatments.

Meeting and maintaining all known standards of care.

Visitors Patient care is our primary concern. Visitors are an important part of our patients’ lives. Visitors must be

free of infection and practice hand hygiene. If required visitors may be asked to leave the unit.

Please review our Family Presence Policy found on www.haltonheathcare.com > Patients & Visitors >

Visitor Information > Visiting and Patient

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Your Healthcare Team During your hemodialysis visits you will meet and work with several

of our healthcare team members. The following is a brief explana-

tion of each of their roles.

You and Your Family

We encourage you to be active in your care. You can do this by

asking questions about your treatments, lab work and medications.

Clinical Resource Nurse (CRN)

Our CRN is in charge of organizing our staffing and patient

schedules. Your CRN liaises with the team to make sure that all of

your needs are met.

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Dietitian

Every patient has specific dietary needs and our dietitian will assist you with this. You can reach the dietitian

through your nurse or by calling them directly.

Doctors

Your kidney doctor (Nephrologist) ensures that your dialysis is working well. Your family

physician/dentist continues to be an important part of the team, and you should continue to see him/her for any

concerns not related to your kidneys.

Nurses

The main focus of the nurses is to provide you with a safe dialysis. They assess you, plan your treatment and

are available to answer any of your questions or concerns.

Independent Dialysis Navigator

This nurse meets with all new patients and provides information on different options for dialysis.

Nurse Practitioners (NPs)

The Nurse Practitioners do patient rounds to make sure you are as

healthy as possible. Our two NPs rotate between the two hemodialysis

sites.

Patient Care Manager (PCM)

The Patient Care Manager oversees the dialysis unit and is available to

answer your questions or concerns.

Pharmacists

Pharmacists provide medication information and support to the staff and

patients.

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Your Healthcare Team cont ...

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Professional Practice Clinician (PPC)

The PPC educates the nurses about best practice, new equipment and procedures.

Renal Social Workers

Social Workers can provide counseling as well as support and information to assist you. You can reach them

through your nurse or by calling them directly.

Renal Assistants (RAs)

The RAs set up the machines and are responsible for cleaning and disinfecting them after each use. They also

help the nurses with patient organization.

Renal Technologists

The Renal Technologists take care of the operation and safety of all of our dialysis machines and equipment.

Unit Clerk

The unit clerk answers the telephone, books renal related appointments, helps plan scheduling and deals with

questions that come up day-to-day.

Volunteers

Our volunteers help transport patients and interact with staff and patients in the unit.

Vascular Access Nurse

This nurse has special training in vascular access and its care to ensure that you have a safe and efficient dialysis.

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Dialysis Locations

The Halton Healthcare Dialysis Program provides hemodialysis at two locations:

OakvilleTrafalgar Memorial Hospital

Halton Healthcare Burlington Satellite Dialysis Unit

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Hours of Operation

Monday to Saturday

7:30 am to 10:30 pm

Contact Information

Tel: 905-338-4492

Fax: 905-338-4493

Location:

Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital

Level 2 / North Block: Nephrology

3001 Hospital Gate

Oakville, Ontario, L6M 0L8

Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital

Burlington Satellite Dialysis Centre

Hours of Operation

Monday to Saturday

7:30 am to 10:30 pm

Contact Information

Tel: 905-319-6572

Location:

Burlington Dialysis Centre

2160 Itabashi Way

Joseph Brant Wellness House, Lower Level

Burlington, Ontario, L7M 4J8

The Burlington Satellite Dialysis Centre is a joint venture

between Halton Healthcare and St. Joseph’s Healthcare

Hamilton. The unit offers dialysis closer to home in an

outpatient setting for those patients who are stable and

require less intensive care by the renal team.

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General Information Confidentiality

Your confidentiality is important to us and we make every effort to protect it.

Appointments

Every effort is taken to ensure your booked appointment is on

schedule. If we are delayed, we ask for your patience.

Snacks

We do not recommend eating or drinking during dialysis, unless you are

diabetic in which case you should bring a small snack.

Perfume and Scented Products

Perfume, after-shave cologne or other scented personal care products are not

permitted in the hospital as some people are allergic to them.

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Safe Environment

Patients and staff are entitled to a safe environment free from any form of discrimination or

harassment. Physical, verbal or mental abuse or violence will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according

to hospital policy.

Hand Hygiene

Please wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer before entering and leaving the unit. This will help stop the

spread of bacteria and keep our patients healthy.

Accessibility

We are committed to providing accessible services to all persons with disabilities and to meet the standards

outlined within the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) 2005. If you require an assistive

device, a service animal or a support person, please speak with your nurse.

Hearing Impaired - A number of services to assist those who are hearing impaired are

available including Certified American Sign Language Interpreter Services. Please speak to your nurse if

you require access to any of these services.

Language Interpreters - To assist in clear communication among patients, family and staff, we offer

Language Line, a confidential telephone interpretation service offering 180 languages, available 24 hours a

day, year round. If you or your family require this service, please advise your nurse.

If you require assistance accessing information or if you have any inquiries or feedback about accessibility

for people with disabilities, please contact Patient Relations at 905-338-4138.

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Home Hemodialysis

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Home Hemodialysis allows you to perform your hemodialysis treatment in your own home. Hemodialysis

filters your blood outside your body using a filter called a dialyzer. It can take the form of conventional or short

daily dialysis.

Short daily dialysis occurs five to six days a week for two to four hours per day.

Conventional dialysis occurs three days a week for three to four hours per day.

A support person is required to train with you and be present in the home for every treatment. The dialysis

equipment and supplies are designed specifically for home dialysis and are supplied to you by Halton Healthcare,

at no cost,

Benefits

The dialysis option can allow you to have greater independence and improved quality of life:

Convenience

Flexibility

Less time spent at hospital

Confidence

Comfort

Decreased exposure to inflection

Less travel time

More time for family, friends and work

Training

Experienced registered nurses will teach you step-by-step through this program.

Your partner or care helper will also learn along with you.

Experienced technologists will help you learn about the machine and what to do when problems occur.

Teaching/training times are flexible.

Everyone is allowed to learn at their own pace and in their own way.

Most people need seven weeks (three days a week) to be fully prepared to go home.

When training is started you can plan on being at the facility for five to six hours for each session.

Home Hemodialysis is taught at the Burlington Dialysis Satellite if that is close to your home or can be

taught in the main hospital dialysis unit.

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Home Hemodialysis cont …

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Home Support

There will be a nurse on call while you are dialyzing.

Routine clinic visits will be scheduled every two months.

If you are unable to dialyze at home for medical or technical difficulties, we will arrange treatments at the

Dialysis Center.

The technologist will come to your home every four to six weeks to take water samples and perform

machine maintenance.

What happens if I want to stop?

If you decide to stop Home Hemodialysis, you will return to the in-center Hemodialysis Unit. The dialysis

machine will be removed from your home at no cost.

Interested in Home Hemodialysis?

If you are interested in the Home Hemodialysis Program, please talk to your nurse or contact:

Hemodialysis Patients:

(905) 845 338 4354

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Protecting Your Forearm Veins

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Protection of the arm veins is important to the success of the

hemodialysis access. The access is necessary in order to connect

you to the dialysis machine. Damage of the forearm veins caused by

IV insertion or blood taking (below the elbow) may mean that the

blood vessels can not be used to make a good vascular access in the

future.

How do I protect my forearm veins?

DO NOT allow IV, blood pressures, or blood taking procedures in the arm that you have been told to

protect.

What else do I need to know?

You only need to protect ONE of your arms. The Kidney Care Clinic staff will tell you which arm to

protect. Most often, this would be your non-dominant arm, or the arm you use less often.

Some patients find a medical alert bracelet or medallion is helpful in reminding them to tell health care

workers which arm they are protecting from IV and blood sampling.

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Preparing for Hemodialysis

New patients: we recommend that someone drive you to dialysis for

the first week until you see how you tolerate the treatment.

If you are going to be late please call the unit and let us know. The staff becomes

concerned if you do not arrive at your scheduled time. We will try to contact

you at home or through your contact person.

Do not take any personal medications while on dialysis until you have checked

with your nurse.

It is very important that you not skip treatments or shorten your time on dialysis

because of the effect it can have on your health. If you have an acute illness such

as chest pain or shortness of breath you should go to the nearest Emergency

Department or call 911. If you feel unwell, it is still important that you come to

dialysis where you can be examined and we can assess you.

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If you are unwell or have a concern between dialysis treatments and it is related to your dialysis, please

call us or your family doctor. If the matter is more urgent, go to the nearest Emergency Department or

call 911.

Getting Here

If you require transportation assistance, please speak to our renal Social Worker.

If you drive, you can purchase monthly parking passes at the parking kiosk for a reduced rate.

Arrive approximately 15 minutes before your scheduled treatment time.

What to Bring?

You should wear comfortable washable clothing that allows for easy access to your fistula or Central

Venous Catheter (i.e. loose fitting or short sleeves for fistulas and button up shirts or a v-neck for central

venous catheters).

Pack a healthy snack if you are diabetic.

Don’t forget your headphones, a lightweight blanket and reading material.

Once You Are Here

Please use the hand sanitizers posted at every door in dialysis.

When you arrive please remain seated in the waiting room until you are called.

If you feel unwell on arrival or after dialysis, please let a nurse know.

The staff will weigh you, or show you how to weigh yourself, and take your blood pressure (both standing

and sitting).

Dialysis stations are not assigned. The station for your treatment may change occasionally. If you have a

concern please discuss it with your nurse.

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During Dialysis

Your Treatment

Nurses will monitor you throughout your treatment. It is important to let

them know if you are experiencing anything unusual. This could include:

lightheadedness,

dizziness,

headache,

any change to your vision or hearing, cramps or nausea.

If you experience any of these symptoms after your treatment, or at home, make sure you tell your nurse when

you return for your next treatment.

Machine alarms are common. The staff respond to the alarms to ensure a safe treatment.

A wheelchair accessible bathroom is available for use before or after your treatment. If you feel the need to

go to the bathroom during your dialysis a nurse will assess and assist you.

We try to provide televisions at each station. Please use earphones to keep noise to a minimum.

We provide reclining chairs for your comfort.

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Your medications are vital. The staff will assess and record all of your medica-

tions monthly, and changes as they happen. It is very important that you let us

know of any changes to your medications that have been made by your other

physicians or your dentist.

You should have all of your prescriptions filled at one pharmacy. Please talk

to your pharmacist about your kidney disease.

If you are running low on a medication, tell your nurse as soon as possible.

Talk to your physician, nurse or pharmacist before taking any non-prescription drugs such as laxatives,

antacids, pain medication or herbal remedies.

Bring your list of medications with you if you are going to the emergency room, are admitted to hospital

or have an appointment with your doctor.

Your Medications

What you need to know about your medications:

Name and strength of each medication

How much of your medications you take and how often?

What the medication is used for and how long it will take to work?

Can the medication be taken at the same time as other medications?

Can the medication be taken before or after dialysis?

Are you running low with any of your medications?

Medication Safety:

Always keep your current medication list in your wallet

with your health card.

This should include an updated list of all your medications including:

Prescription medications

Over the counter medications such as vitamins, supplements and herbal remedies

Tell your healthcare team about any allergies you have to medications or food.

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Living With Kidney Disease

Your Schedule

When you start dialysis, the staff do their best to accommodate your

preferred time slot. If it is not initially available, we will make every effort to

move you to your choice as soon as we are able.

Delays happen. Please be patient. It is our goal to provide you with the

safest treatment possible.

If you wish to make a change to your schedule due to vacation or a special event,

speak to your nurse and fill in a “change of shift” request form.

If you are admitted to hospital your dialysis will continue but your schedule may

temporarily change.

If bad weather or another emergency prevents you from getting to your appointment, please call the unit

to let them know.

Planning a Vacation?

Leave at least three months to arrange a vacation destination especially if it is out of the country. Our staff

can help you with contact information.

You will need to contact the dialysis unit of your choice and provide them with information.

We have information available about travel options for dialysis patients. If you are interested please speak to

staff.

Eating and Drinking

Renal diet recommendations are unique to each patient. Your renal dietitian can provide

information about your individual dietary needs.

Fitness

Exercise is essential to keeping our bodies and minds healthy. Maintaining an active lifestyle is particularly

important for patients with kidney disease. Please discuss what type of exercise would be most suitable for you

with your healthcare team. Patients should always check with their doctor before beginning new exercises and

activities.

Medic Alert Bracelets

Are recommended as they identify you as a dialysis patient and what type of access you

have. Ask us for more information

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Your healthcare team takes all precautions to limit the

risk of infection in our dialysis units. Equipment is disin-

fected regularly. Dialysis tubes and filters are only used

once and then thrown away.

What can you do to help prevent infections?

Wash your hands often throughout the day.

Tell your visitors that it is best not to come if they

are unwell.

Seek medical attention if you are unwell.

Please talk to your nurse if you are worried about

infections.

Infection Prevention and Control

Telephone Directory

Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital (Main Switchboard)………………………………………..….905-845-2571

Renal Dialysis Unit…………………………………….…………………………………...………….905-338-4492

Burlington Dialysis Unit…………………………………………………………………………....….905-319-6572

Independent Dialysis Clinic ……………………………………..………...…………………………..905 338-4354

Kidney Care Clinic……………………………………….…………………………………..…….….905-338-4354

Patient Relations ……………………………………………………………………………………...905-338-4138

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Notes

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We represent the blending of three well-established,

community-oriented healthcare facilities. Together,

Georgetown Hospital, Oakville Trafalgar Memorial

Hospital and Milton District Hospital, serve the growing

urban and rural communities of Halton Hills, Milton and

Oakville and provide a full range of acute care services.

Our Mission

For the communities we serve, Halton Healthcare

provides compassionate, quality, community hospital

care as part of an integrated system.

Our Vision

Transforming the community hospital experience.

Exemplary patient experiences, always.

ABOUT HALTON HEALTHCARE

HALTON HEALTHCARE

Georgetown Hospital

1 Princess Anne Drive

Georgetown, Ontario L7G 2B8

905-873-0111

Milton District Hospital

7030 Derry Road

Milton, Ontario L9T 7H6

905-878-2383

Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital

3001 Hospital Gate

Oakville, Ontario L6M 0L8

905-845-2571

www.haltonhealthcare.com