Home Dialysis Program
In 1965, Albert Einstein Medical Center opened its Home Dialysis Program, making it one of the first hospitals in the Philadelphia
region to offer such a service. Einstein’s program is for patients who receive peritoneal dialysis (PD) due to Chronic Kidney
Disease (CKD). Most of the patients in the program have advanced CKD (Stage 5) due to hypertension, diabetes, lupus, glomerulonephritis,
polycystic kidneys and other hereditary kidney diseases.
Patients in the Home Dialysis Program are under the care of a team of kidney specialists that includes a nephrologist (kidney
disease doctor), nephrology nurses, a social worker and a dietitian. The team’s focus is on educating patients and their
families about CKD and how to slow the progression of the disease.
Just about anyone can learn to do peritoneal dialysis at home. Many people are able to do the dialysis at home without any
help, although some like to have a partner who can assist them with their treatments. Anyone accepted into the Home Dialysis
Program must be willing to take responsibility for his or her own health.
