Private renal suites within an in-center facility

Abstract

Private renal suites are offered within an in-center facility for out-patient dialysis treatment. A plurality of suites allow for amenities associated with different theme-oriented accommodations, such as resembling a room in a home, an office, or other theme-oriented accommodation, such as a seasonal theme, a sports theme, a child's setting, or a hobby enthusiast theme. Each treatment room is fabricated to replicate the themed setting while allowing the out-patient to be comfortable and relaxed, enjoy the themed atmosphere, or possibly perform work-related tasks during what is otherwise a difficult and stressful procedure.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to private renal suites for accommodating patients undergoing dialysis therapy in a private setting. More particularly, the invention relates to a suite of rooms at an in-center facility that allows for amenities associated with different theme oriented accommodations, such as resembling a room in a home, an office, or other theme-oriented accommodations in an out-patient setting for patients needing treatment. Each treatment room is fabricated to replicate a home living room setting, a home office setting, or other themed setting, including children themes for pediatric patients, to allow each patient to be comfortable and relaxed, or to possibly perform work-related tasks, participate in sedentary games, or other diversionary activities during what is otherwise a difficult and stressful procedure.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]Dialysis is a life-preserving treatment for hundreds...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0020]Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a suite for accommodating a patient undergoing dialysis therapy that is available at an in-center treatment facility, but is made to resemble a home environment to give the patient amenities normally associated with in-home treatment without having to cope with the drawbacks of home dialysis.

[0021]It is another object of the present invention to provide a dialysis treatment facility that includes a plurality of suites with each suite fabricated to include all of the necessary medical equipment for dialysis treatment as well as numerous home amenities or work related amenities to make the patient's stay more relaxing and / or more productive during dialysis treatment.

[0022]A further object of the invention is to provide a dialysis treatment facility that includes a plurality of suites, each having a different theme orientation to give each patient a different experience that helps divert the patient during hours of treatment.

[0030]In a second aspect, the present invention is directed to a method of providing a comfortable setting for administering dialysis treatment to a plurality of out-patients at an in-center facility comprising: providing a plurality of suites for simultaneous dialysis treatment to accommodate the plurality of out-patients; preparing the suites for theme-oriented accommodations including having the plurality of suites resemble a room in a home, an office, a geographic location, a seasonal theme, a sports theme, a variety of hobby enthusiast themes, children oriented themes, or any combination thereof; administering dialysis treatment to each of the plurality of out-patients in the suites, wherein each of the plurality of suites includes dialysis equipment for dialysis treatment of the out-patients; providing a fully reclinable dialysis chair or adjustable bed for each of the plurality of out-patients for the dialysis treatment; and monitoring each of the plurality of out-patients in-situ during treatment using video equipment in electrical communication with display equipment at a centralized nursing station.

Problems solved by technology

Dialysis does not treat kidney diseases.

Someone who gets to the clinic late often cannot make up the time by staying longer because the machine is needed for the next patient.

This becomes a greater inconvenience for the patients, and some have opted for home dialysis treatment, where the dialysis equipment is stored and operated in the patient's home.

However, home treatment has inherent risks, including monitoring low blood pressure and infection.

The most serious risk is the possibility of an air embolism—a condition in which air is introduced into the blood stream accidentally, preventing the heart from adequately pumping blood.

Another serious risk is blood loss if a catheter separates.

In the absence of professional assistance, these risks deter many from home dialysis.

Other drawbacks of home dialysis include large, noisy dialysis machines in the patient's home, which generally requires a dedicated space for a treatment area.

Also, training for home dialysis is approximately an eight (8) week procedure, which puts an additional burden on the new care-giver.

Furthermore, dialysis treatments in the home may necessitate plumbing or wiring modifications, and these changes may or may not be paid for by insurance plans or by Medicare.

It is also likely that home dialysis will cause water and electricity bills to rise.

Medicare does not pay for home hemodialysis helpers.

A few clinics pay for them, but this is very rare.

Regardless of the negatives of home treatment, many patients still desire the comforts and amenities realized in a home setting during their treatment hours at an in-center facility, which for the most part is down-time for the patient with little productivity; however, home amenities are clearly lacking at in-center treatment facilities, and attempts to make the patient treatment area more hospitable have not been successful.

It is not designed for dialysis treatment, and implementation in a dialysis treatment center would be counterintuitive to the design approach of total isolation.

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