Travelling during dialysis is possible with good planning. This means that people who need dialysis can go on holiday, but they should make sure that they plan everything carefully and take the necessary documents with them. The Dialysis Centre of the Nuova Itor Clinic also offers a holiday dialysis service for those who are in Rome for a trip.
Can dialysis patients travel?
Dialysis is an indispensable life-saving treatment for many people with chronic kidney failure. However, a dialysis patient may have their quality of life and freedom of movement severely limited. Fortunately, thanks to technological advances and the expansion of health services, it is now possible to organise trips even for those who need dialysis, travelling by all available means (car, plane, train, ship).
So yes, dialysis patients can travel. However, careful and accurate planning is essential. Thanks to the presence of dialysis centres in all the most important cities and the increasing availability of specific services for dialysis patients, it is possible to go on holidays both in Italy and abroad without compromising the continuity of treatment. The most important thing is to prepare properly and to follow a few practical pieces of advice.
Dialysis on holiday, some practical advice
Here are some practical tips for people on dialysis who still want to travel.
- Contact the dialysis centres in the cities you intend to visit in advance, both in Italy and abroad. Make sure that they can accommodate an outpatient and that they have all the equipment required for the patient’s treatment. Many dialysis centres offer booking services for travelling patients; therefore, it is advisable to ask for all the necessary information.
- Carefully prepare the documentation. It is important to have all the documents that illustrate the medical situation at hand. This includes medical prescriptions, medical history, and specific details of dialysis treatment. In addition, bringing a digital copy, in addition to the hard copy, can be useful in case of loss of documents.
- Bring with you the documents required for access to dialysis centres: your health card (or the European Health Insurance Card – EHIC, for EU citizens, or another health card for third-country nationals), your dialysis card issued by the dialysis centre of origin and a doctor’s referral indicating the type and number of dialysis appointments planned. Additional documents may also be required by the individual dialysis centre, to which a specific request should be sent in good time.
Dialysis patients on holiday in Rome, the service of the Nuova Itor Clinic
For those who choose Rome as a holiday destination, perhaps on the occasion of the upcoming Jubilee, the Nuova Itor Clinic offers an excellent dialysis service for travelling patients. The facility, in fact, consists of 2 dialysis centres, for a total of 45 beds, with monitors and environments reserved for HCV and HbsAg positive patients. The facilities are staffed by doctors, nurses, auxiliary nurses and dialysis technicians. A highly qualified team, with a view to prevention and monitoring of all aspects of chronic renal failure. In addition, dialysis patients are guaranteed continuity of care and a 24-hour medical nursing service available for emergencies.