Can i get dialysis on a cruise ship

First, make sure the cruise line allows this. Then alert your supply company several months in advance to order extra materials. For the 10 percent of dialysis patients who use peritoneal dialysis, a home-based treatment, it is also possible to travel with a machine and supplies and attend to your own health care, says Kelli Collins, vice president for patient engagement with the National Kidney Foundation.

Generally, experts recommend that patients have a year's experience with the treatment before traveling, and some cruise lines require this. We have people who go camping in the woods with their machines. While it might seem convenient to have supplies sent directly to the ship, it's easy for them to get lost.

One solution: Arrive at your port a day early, stay at a hotel where you can have your supplies shipped, and pick them up yourself. Also make sure you have basic materials like gauze sponges, antiseptics, disinfectants and gloves. Whatever path you take, it's important to bring medical documents with you, including your doctor's dialysis prescription, medical histories and charts. Also, bring contact info for your dialysis machine manufacturer and supply company, and copies of your drug prescriptions.

Finally, send a note to your ship's disability services department before you travel to inform them about your dietary needs, and to request a refrigerator, if necessary, for your supplies. Also, ask to meet with the maitre d' to review your dining restrictions once you're aboard the ship.

Patients can fly with dialysis equipment. A peritoneal dialysis machine can come aboard as carry-on, but a home hemodialysis machine is too large and must be checked as luggage. However, airlines aren't supposed to charge for taking medical supplies as long as the packed machine meets weight and supply limits. In addition, medical supplies are not supposed to count against your carry-on limit, according to FAA rules, and actually take priority over other passengers' carry-on luggage.

Hemodialysis patients have undergone renal failure and must be dialyzed with an artificial kidney to rid the body of fluids and toxins.

Dialysis at Sea Cruises provides a renal care specialist team consisting of a Nephrologist, dialysis nurses and certified technicians. We provide the most advanced equipment and supplies which are housed and maintained with Dialysis at Sea Cruises and undergo strict maintenance protocols for the most optimum performance. Dialysis at Sea Cruises is the largest provider of dialysis services aboard cruise ships in the world.

Since our inception in , thousands of individuals on dialysis and their families have been able to experience the pleasures of cruising and the excitement of taking their dream vacation.

Travel with us in confidence as all of your shipboard medical needs are handled by experienced and trained medical professionals. Dialysis at Sea Cruises is offering our medical staff the opportunity to experience the excitement of cruising to majestic ports of call throughout the world while enabling the dialysis patients the freedom and confidence to cruise with the knowledge that qualified and trained professionals will be traveling with them to care for their shipboard medical needs.

The dialysis unit onboard a cruise ship has all of the essentials you are familiar with — experienced, fully trained medical professionals including a Nephrologist, Nurses, beds, dialysis machines and a cup of tea!

When you are at home, dialysis usually takes the form of making your way to hospital, either by your own car or hospital transport, dialysing and then making your way home again. Dialysis onboard a cruise ship is so easy. On most ships dialysis is arranged around the ports of call as far as possible leaving you time to explore or just enjoying your time relaxing onboard. The staffing ratios exceed any land-based units with one Registered Nurse to two patients and personalised visits from the onboard Nephrologist during every dialysis session.

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