For Patients and Families

You Can Live: Your Guide for Living with Kidney Failure

This booklet gives tips on  treating kidney failure, making treatments better, and  living a healthier lifestyle.

Why Am I Cold Brochure

This brochure addresses the reasons patients may feel cold during their treatment and some ways they can deal with that.

Lifeline for a Lifetime

The ESRD National Coordinating Center (NCC) website provides information about vascular access management through a program called Lifeline for a Lifetime. 

Life Options Vascular Access Education in Multiple Languages

The Life Options website offers free print materials available, including booklets, newsletters, and fact sheets. This site contains vascular access education in multiple languages.

The Little Book About Kidneys: A Guide for Children About Kidney Disease and Treatment

The Little Book About Kidneys by Victoria Hanson and illustrated by Jenny Tulip, will help you talk to young children about your kidneys and the treatments you may experience. It is intended to support you in explaining your kidney failure to children. 

SmokeFree.gov - Quit Smoking Today!

This website provides information and resources about how to stop smoking.

Grievance Process

If you have a concern about the care being provided to you or family member in a dialysis clinic, you may call the Network at any time. However, you are encouraged to speak to the clinic manager, charge nurse, or social worker first. This resource will provide you with more information about the Network grievance process, including how to file a grievance.

Vaccines for People on Dialysis

This flyer provides recommended immunizations for people on dialysis.

Myth Busters: Vaccinations

Fact or fiction? This handout, available in English and Spanish, dispels some of the myths and highlights the facts about the Pneumonia and Hepatitis B vaccinations.

University of the Pacific Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Outreach

Each outreach event will also provide many other services that beneficiaries can take advantage of and have included: vaccinations, blood pressure testing, diabetes screening, cholesterol testing, bone density testing, and much more.

Medicare Part D

Learn about how to get Medicare Part D drug coverage, what drug plans cover, costs for Medicare drug coverage, how Medicare Part D works with other insurance, and the enrollment dates.

Working While Disabled - How We Can Help

Social Security pays disability benefits to you and certain members of your family if you have worked long enough and have a medical condition that has prevented you from working, or is expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months, or end in death.

Working While Disabled - Spanish Version

Social Security pays disability benefits to you and certain members of your family if you have worked long enough and have a medical condition that has prevented you from working or is expected to prevent you from working for at least 12 months or end in in death. 

Fixing Paco

Fixing Paco is a website dedicated to educating the public about the leading causes of kidney disease, how to prevent it, kidney transplant as a treatment option, the need for living organ donors, and the importance of proactive patient involvement in care.

There are two components to the website:

• A public service announcement (PSA) campaign  that carries a strong call to action.
  • Get the Facts (0:30)
  • Get the facts! Get Checked! Get Help! (0.60)

• A web series that tells the "story of family, big decisions and second chances."

Dialysis Schedules: Tips for Patients and Staff

Scheduling issues are a common source of frustration for dialysis patients and staff. This document addresses what you can do to help keep your dialysis schedule running as on time as possible.

Online and Telephone Support Group Resources

This document provides a list of and links to online and telephonic resources that specialize in kidney disease. Many offer education, as well as the opportunity to connect with other end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, family members, and/or caregivers through discussion forums and subscription-based email lists.

American Association of Kidney Patients

The American Association of Kidney Patients continually develops high quality, professionally written, edited and reviewed educational pieces covering every level of kidney disease.

Planning Today for Tomorrow's Healthcare: A Guide for People with Chronic Kidney Disease

This brochure will provide details on how to have control over your healthcare in the event that you cannot speak for yourself.

Coalition for Supportive Care of Kidney Patients

The Coalition for Supportive Care of Kidney Patients brings together like-minded multi-disciplinary clinical professionals and lay people who care deeply about the quality of compassionate, supportive care for kidney patients.  The website includes education, helpful links, and resources.

February 2019 Patient Newsletter

This February 2019 edition of the Patient Newsletter highlights information about the Network, your "Welcome to Medicare" preventive visit, the ESRD Quality Incentive Program (QIP), and more.

Previous Years' Newsletters

Patient newsletters prior to 2019.

Patient Responsibilities Poster - English

Do you know your responsibilities as a patient? This poster reviews important patient responsibilities for ESRD patients to know and understand.

Patient Responsibilities - Spanish

Do you know your responsibilities as a patient? This Spanish language poster reviews important patient responsibilities for ESRD patients to know and understand.