Rehabilitation and Quality of Life
- Download a copy of our new brochure, Rehabilitation: Getting Back to Work [PDF, size: 200Kb], created by the Network Rehabilitation Committee to promote patient activity including employment, education and volunteer opportunities. Also, please take a few moments to provide us with feedback on this publication.
- Review a copy of The Renal Network's Guidelines for Assessment and Referral to Vocational Rehabilitation.
- Download a Vocational Rehabilitation Inventory Tool to help you keep a record of your rehabilitation activities.
- Locate your Local Vocational Rehabilitation Offices.
- Locate resources for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Life Options
Life Options Rehabilitation Program promotes the use of '5 E's' as bridges to rehabilitation. These 5 E's include Encouragement, Education, Exercise, Employment, and Evaluation. The Life Options programs Keys to a Long Life and Building Quality of Life: A Practical Guide to Renal Rehabilitation focus on living well and living longer.
The Network highly recommends Life Option's booklets entitled Unit Self-Assessment Manual for Renal Rehabilitation and A Practice Guide to Renal Rehabilitation to assist in starting or improving the facility's rehabilitation program. The USAT and other booklets can be downloaded from the "Free Materials" section on the professional side of the Life Options website at http://www.lifeoptions.org/catalog/catalog.php?prodCat=booklets.
Visit Life Options at www.lifeoptions.org to access the many other fine resources on rehabilitation and quality of life.
Improving Employment Outcomes
The Patient Services Department encourages each facility to establish and define rehabilitation goals for their patients and to work with their local vocational rehabilitation counselors to determine appropriate referrals. Sometimes patients who are employed will need to dialyze on a certain shift to maintain their working hours and at other times they may need to explore other treatment options that will make it easier for them to be a part of the workforce.
The Rehabilitation Services Administration recently released new training materials to educate vocational rehabilitation counselors on the employment potential of persons with chronic renal disease. These materials have been made available through the Rehabilitation Services Administration to state and regional vocational rehabilitation offices nationwide.
Effective Strategies for Improving Employment Outcomes for People with Chronic Kidney Disease, provides an overview of end-stage renal disease, dialysis options, as well as, recommendations for vocational rehabilitation intervention strategies including suggestions on actionable timelines.
It stresses the success of early intervention and promotes the goal of work force retention and the value of retraining. To learn more log onto: http://www.rcep6.org . A copy of the booklet is available in PDF format: http://www.rcep6.org/iri/books/27IRI_kidney_desease.pdf (PDF, 537KB)