Renal Disease Services (Hemodialysis, On-Site)
For people with kidney failure or advanced kidney disease, hemodialysis is a life-sustaining treatment that filters waste, excess fluid, and toxins from the blood when the kidneys can no longer do it. It’s typically needed three times a week, and each session lasts about three to four hours. If your loved one is in a nursing facility and also needs dialysis, on-site hemodialysis eliminates the exhausting and disruptive cycle of transporting them to an outside dialysis center several times a week.
Why on-site matters
Transport to and from an offsite dialysis center takes a physical toll. Patients are often wiped out for the rest of the day after a session, and the travel itself (loading into a medical transport vehicle, sitting through traffic, waiting at the center) adds hours and discomfort. On-site dialysis means the patient walks down the hall, receives treatment, and goes back to their room. Recovery time is faster. Therapy schedules aren’t disrupted. Infection exposure from outside settings is reduced.
What MediLodge provides
Select MediLodge locations have on-site hemodialysis units staffed by trained dialysis nurses and technicians. Treatment protocols follow the standards set by the National Kidney Foundation and are coordinated with the patient’s nephrologist. Nursing staff monitors patients before, during, and after each session for complications like blood pressure drops, cramping, and access site issues.
Paying for dialysis
Medicare covers hemodialysis for people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), including those in skilled nursing facilities. Medicaid and private insurance typically cover it as well.
Getting started
Find a MediLodge location near you that offers on-site hemodialysis and contact the facility directly. Dialysis availability is limited to select locations, so early planning is recommended.