At Home Dialysis Therapies of San Diego
We Are Committed To
Educating Our Patients
Learning to live well with home dialysis is not something you should have to figure out alone. We built this resource center to give you understandable, trustworthy information you can return to whenever questions come up. If you ever feel unsure about what you read here, bring it to your training nurse or nephrologist and we will walk through it together. Our goal is simple: give you the tools and support you need to feel confident managing treatment at home and in everyday life.
MTS Paratransit Options for Patients
MTS Access provides curb to curb transportation for people who cannot safely use regular buses or trolleys because of a health condition or disability. Rides run within the MTS service area and are usually booked ahead of time. The site explains who qualifies, how to apply, and what to expect on the day of your trip.
SDG&E Medical Baselines Program
The SDG&E Medical Baseline Allowance can lower gas and electric costs for households that rely on certain medical devices, such as oxygen equipment or other power intensive machines. If you qualify, you receive an extra block of energy at the lowest residential rate. The program page walks through eligibility rules, required forms, and how your clinician can help you apply.
Support Groups for Dialysis Patients
The American Association of Kidney Patients maintains a directory of kidney support groups across California where patients and families can connect, share experiences, and hear from guest speakers. Listings include locations and contact details. Because groups change over time, use this as a starting point and call ahead or check with your social worker to confirm that information is still current.
Mama's Kitchen Food Assistance
Mama’s Kitchen offers a Chronic Kidney Disease pilot nutrition program that delivers medically tailored meals to eligible adults in San Diego County. Meals are designed by dietitians to follow kidney friendly guidelines and arrive ready to heat and eat, which can be especially helpful on treatment days. The program page explains who may qualify and how a healthcare provider can submit a referral.
Dialysis Patient Resources in San Diego
Home Dialysis Resources
Home Dialysis Preparation Checklist
Printable checklist from the National Kidney Foundation that walks you through key steps before starting home dialysis. Covers treatment options, care partner planning, home setup, and questions to ask your nephrologist and dialysis team. Use it to stay organized as you move toward training.
Research on Home Dialysis Outcomes
Evidence-based review from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that compares home-based dialysis with in-center treatment. Looks at survival, hospitalizations, and quality of life for different modalities. Useful if you want to see the data behind choosing home therapies and discuss it with your doctor.
Disaster Planning for PD and Home HD
Practical guide from Home Dialysis Central on how to stay ready for storms, fires, power outages, and other emergencies. Explains what papers to keep handy, how to store backup supplies, and how to plan for temporary clinic care if you must leave home.
Home Dialysis Decision Aid
Booklet from the American Kidney Fund that helps you compare home dialysis options with in-center care. Includes worksheets, questions to ask, and space to think through what matters most in your daily life, so you can make an informed choice with your care team.
The National Kidney Foundation Cookbook
Collection of kidney-friendly recipes created by National Kidney Foundation of Arizona. Includes breakfasts, main dishes, snacks, and desserts with notes on sodium, potassium, and phosphorus. A good place to get ideas for meals that still feel “normal” while fitting common renal diet limits. Always confirm details with your dietitian before making changes.
Dining Out With Confidence On Dialysis
Article from the National Kidney Foundation on how to handle restaurants and takeout when you are on dialysis. Explains how to read menus with a kidney lens, choose lower sodium and lower potassium options, watch portions, and plan ahead for fluids and sauces. A good reference to review before you go out, then confirm any specific limits with your own renal dietitian.
Kidney-Friendly Food List & Tips
Simple chart of kidney-friendly proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, snacks, and drinks, plus quick tips for building meals put together by the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan. Use this as a starting point, then follow the specific limits your nephrologist or dietitian gives you.
Kidney Friendly Recipe Finder
Interactive recipe library from the American Kidney Fund with filters for potassium, phosphorus, protein, and sodium, plus vegetarian and other dietary needs. Use it to explore meals that match your kidney diet goals, then confirm portions and choices with your own renal dietitian.
Dialysis Diet Resources You Can Trust
Transplant Support Resources
Kidney Transplant Roadmap
Simple visual guide that walks you through each step of the transplant process, from referral and evaluation to waitlist, surgery, and follow up care. Helpful if you want a quick picture of what to expect and where you are in the journey.
Living Kidney Donor Information
Overview from the National Kidney Foundation that explains who can donate, how donors are evaluated, and what to expect before and after surgery. A good starting point for friends or family who want to help but are unsure what donation really involves.
Emory Pre-Transplant Booklet
Detailed booklet that covers tests, appointments, and lifestyle changes that may be needed before transplant. Includes plain language explanations you can review between visits so you feel more prepared for meetings with your transplant team.
AAKP Post-Transplant Care Guidance
Education from the American Association of Kidney Patients on staying healthy after transplant, including medicines, infection prevention, diet, and follow up visits. Useful for planning how daily life may change once a new kidney is working.
Workplace Accommodations and FMLA
Overview of how workplace accommodations and the Family and Medical Leave Act can support people who have chronic kidney disease, are on dialysis, or are recovering from transplant. Walks through common job adjustments, how to talk with your employer, and the basic rules around job protection and health benefits when you need time away from work.
AAKP Kidney Employment Resources
Programs and articles from the American Association of Kidney Patients that focus on staying employed with kidney disease. This resource from the AAKP highlights the KidneyWorks initiative, job retention strategies, and advocacy tools that help people keep working or return to work while managing dialysis or early stage CKD.
Financial Planning With Disability
Introductory guide to long term financial planning for people living with a serious health condition or disability. Covers big picture topics like protecting income, planning for medical costs, and balancing current support with future security so work and money decisions feel more deliberate instead of reactive.
Employers Guide to Kidney Disease
Education piece for supervisors and HR teams on what end stage kidney disease is, how dialysis and transplant work, and what reasonable workplace adjustments can look like. Useful to share with an employer who wants to understand how to support you while still managing schedules, safety, and productivity.
Resources for Working With Kidney Disease & Dialysis
Funding & Insurance Resources For Dialysis Patients
Medicare Coverage for Dialysis and Transplant
Official Medicare booklet that explains how Medicare pays for kidney dialysis and kidney transplant care, what services are covered, when coverage starts and ends, and where to call for help. Helpful if you want a full picture of your options and rights.
Medicare and ESRD: Eligibility, Coverage, and Costs
Step-by-step Medicare.gov guide for people with end stage renal disease. Walks through who qualifies, how to sign up, when coverage begins, what you can expect to pay, and how coverage works in emergencies or when you travel.
American Kidney Fund Premium and Safety Net Grants
National programs from the American Kidney Fund that may help with health insurance premiums and other dialysis-related costs. Includes information on eligibility, what expenses can be covered, and how to apply if medical bills are putting pressure on your budget.
Prescription Discount and Assistance Resources
National Kidney Foundation resource that outlines prescription discount cards and financial aid programs that may lower the cost of medications, including drugs related to dialysis and transplant care. Useful if you are struggling to afford monthly prescriptions.
Travel Tips Brochure for Kidney Patients
Practical guide from the National Kidney Foundation that walks through planning a trip when you have kidney disease or are on dialysis. Covers how to coordinate treatments, pack supplies, manage food and fluids, and work with your care team so travel feels safer and more predictable.
Medicare Coverage When You Travel
Official Medicare fact sheet that explains when your coverage will pay for care outside the United States. Reviews the few situations where Medicare may help with emergency care abroad, what services are included, and questions to ask before you leave.
Flying With a Home Dialysis Machine
U.S. Department of Transportation notice that spells out your rights when you fly with a portable dialysis machine. Explains how airlines must treat your machine as assistive equipment, what they must allow in the cabin or baggage, and how to ask for help at the airport.
Real-World Tips for Traveling on Dialysis
Clinic written guide on planning trips while receiving dialysis. Walks through checking with your nephrologist, arranging treatments at your destination, packing what you need, and staying healthy so you can focus more on the trip and less on the logistics.
Resources for Traveling With Kidney Disease and On Dialysis
Resources For Family Life On Dialysis
Coping as a Family with Kidney Disease
Living with kidney disease changes daily life for everyone in the household, not just the person on treatment. This National Kidney Foundation guide walks through common emotional reactions, family roles, intimacy, parenting, and how to keep communication open when stress is high.
Caring for Yourself as a Dialysis Caregiver
It is easy for caregivers to ignore their own health while they focus on a loved one’s dialysis schedule, medicines, and appointments. This American Kidney Fund handout explains what caregiver burnout looks like and offers practical ideas for setting limits, asking for help, and building in rest.
The Power of Family Support in Chronic Illness
Strong family support can make it easier to follow treatment plans, notice changes in symptoms early, and stay engaged with normal life. This article reviews how spouses, children, and extended family can share responsibilities, talk about worries, and support each other over the long term.
Preparing Yourself for Home Dialysis
Preparing for home dialysis is a shared project. This NKF resource outlines what to expect during training, how to set up the treatment space, and ways family members can help with organizing supplies and planning schedules so treatment fits into home life as smoothly as possible.
Safe Exercises for CKD, Dialysis, and Transplant
Ideas for low impact, kidney friendly movement from the National Kidney Foundation. Covers seated, bodyweight, and resistance band exercises for people living with CKD, on dialysis, or after a transplant. A good place to see what staying active might look like before you talk with your care team.
Chair Based Exercises for Strength and Balance
Printable booklet from the Oxford Kidney Unit with step by step chair exercises designed for people on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. Focuses on simple movements to improve strength, balance, and confidence while staying seated, with clear safety notes to review with your dialysis team.
Falls Prevention and Staying Steady
Educational hub from the National Council on Aging about lowering fall risk as you stay active. Explains how exercise, home safety changes, and regular checkups can work together to keep you moving more safely, with tools to check your risk and plan next steps with your providers.
Pacing Your Activity and Energy Guide
Video and worksheet on pacing from a university pain and self care program. Shows how to spread activity through the day, avoid boom and bust cycles, and match your movement to your energy level. Useful if fatigue or pain make it hard to stay consistent with exercise.