Dedicated to End-of-Life Care for Kidney Patients

Mission: To promote effective interchange between patients, families, caregivers, payers, and providers in support of integrated patient-centered end-of-life care of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients.

 

Additional Resources

State & Federal Legislation on Advance Directives & DNR Orders:

End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) *NEW*
The ELNEC project is a national education initiative to improve end-of-life care in the United States. Over the next 6 months, ELNEC is providing 3 critical care courses for nurses who work in critical care areas, including dialysis units. This is a train-the-trainer program; trainers will return to their institutions equipped to train others. Social workers and other disciplines are invited to attend, except for the January 2007 course.

Questions and Answers is a document intended to educate ESRD patients and their families about end-of-life care.

Supportive Care for the Renal Patient A book edited by E. Joanna Chambers, Michael Germain, and Edwina Brown, that provides comprehensive guidance in providing palliative care to dialysis patients.

Dying Well (book) A book written by Ira Byock, MD, that provides resources for individuals facing serious illness. Dr. Byock, a palliative care expert and advocate for enhanced end-of-life care, also offers information for families and professional caregivers.

Growth House has a collection of international resources for end-of-life care. This site includes a search engine to provide in-depth resources on compassionate care for those suffering from serious illnesses.

Americans for Better Care of the Dying is an organization, based in Washington, DC, that aims to improve end-of-life care by discovering the social and practical changes needed for effective, long-term programs.

National Alliance for Caregiving is a non-profit coalition created in 1996 to support family caregivers and the professionals who serve them. Its membership includes more than 30 national organizations.

National Family Caregivers Association provides services, support, and education to improve the quality of life for caregivers and families. The association offers free membership for family caregivers.

MediCaring.org is a site sponsored by the Washington Home Center for Palliative Care Studies (CPCS), and it is affiliated with Rand Health. This site offers a variety of resources on improving end-of-life care, such as caregiver guides and research on chronic illness.


Understanding End-of-Life Care: The Social Worker's Role is an online course developed and offered by the National Association of Social Workers. Social workers can earn CEUs for participation.

Advanced Care Planning Brochure Download an order form for Advanced Care Planning: For the Dialysis Patient and Their Family. Talking about their wishes can help patients and their families plan for their future care.

Dying Well (online course) is part of the Digital Imaging Advancement Productions' (DIA) Learning division. This course contains high-quality video documentary, text, and quiz components and is approved by the National Association of Social Workers-Missouri Chapter for 12 continuing education hours.