Community-based facilities

In-centre or community-based facilities offer hemodialysis for patients who desire more independence but are unable to perform hemodialysis in the home setting.

Centres in the Toronto area include:

• Sheppard and Sussex Centres: Nurses and patients perform dialysis together
• Dialysis Management Clinics (DMC): Nurses perform dialysis

Why might I consider in-centre or community-based facilities?

• Limited training required
• Hemodialysis delivered by a health care professional
• Home environment free of hemodialysis supplies

What are common risks on in-centre, community-based facilities?

• Infection: central venous catheters are associated with the highest risk of bloodstream infections which may result in a serious infection requiring hospitalization
  • 1 in 5 chance of developing a bloodstream infection
• Low blood pressure: may occur as a result of fluid removal during dialysis and rarely can result in loss of consciousness
• Blood loss: can occur as a result of clotting in tubing, bleeding from access sites, accidental disconnection from machine

Community-based hemodialysis support

• Monitoring is provided by the nurses of your kidney team at the community-based centre
• Clinic visits with your kidney team at Sunnybrook are initially every 5 weeks, then every 10 weeks