I had not been in my first dialysis job for even 3 months when I received a call from what would become my very first chronic kidney disease patient. She was an employee at the hospital I was working at and asked if we could meet soon to talk about her diet because she was TERRIFIED of her kidney disease progressing to dialysis. Terrified. That word stood out to me.
Nutrition counts in renal disease! It counts not just for health but even more for quality of life. There is no one better than dietitians to help stem the tide of renal disease as they empower people to move past “terrified” to confident.
Nutrition therapy for kidney disease is specific. A low sodium, low potassium, low phosphorus, low protein diet is wrong for most people with kidney disease. The “renal diet” is a misnomer, because every single patient is different. Knowing the intricacies of providing therapy for people with chronic kidney disease is paramount in honing in on an effective individualized nutrition therapy. Lab interpretation, recent science, and understanding kidney disease physiology at each stage of failure makes all the difference in slowing progression and managing complications.
So, I’ve spent hours and hours pouring over books, research articles, and counseling clients to bring you my best practice tips for CKD. This is my call to renal dietitians to expand past dialysis and help slow the burgeoning crisis of kidney disease. Light your fire again. Make a difference. Work with highly motivated patients who desperately want your help.
So now I’m offering, what I wish I had from the beginning.
CKD Mentorship
Making what’s worked for me, work for you:
CKD E-course for RDS (16.5 CPE)
3 parts that get you going from beginning to end:
Stop the CKD dietary confusion! Get the facts and effective counseling strategies to help your patients slow progression and prevent complications of kidney disease. Drop us a line to receive exclusive pre-launch discounts for early bird registration!
The Big Deal about Kidney Disease.
CKD/ESRD is a big deal: 200 million people worldwide with kidney disease; One in 11 people in America have kidney disease. Medicare spending for END stage renal disease was $30.9 billion in 2013, accounting for 7.1 percent of the overall Medicare paid claims cost; one treatment costs $200-$300 (so if you delay dialysis by 1 month you save... over $3000 - wouldn't that money be nice to put that government money towards other things!). Plus a person will spend almost 50 hrs on dialysis a month - that doesn't count travel to and from and extra appointments for dialysis access AND In 2013, more than 47,000 Americans died from kidney disease - more than prostate and breast cancer.
Nutrition therapy works for kidney disease. Whether you're a renal dietitian working in a dialysis unit or a seasoned private practice dietitian you're skills are needed and having the right tools makes all the difference.