Winter 2017

This newsletter, Renal

Outreach, is one way patients can stay

up to date on Network activities and

projects. If you are not already on our

mailing list, you may sign up to receive

Renal Outreach free of charge. To

subscribe, call the Network at

1(800) 456-6919 and ask for Katie

Stark. Or visit

http://www.therenalnetwork.org/

Resources/newsletters.html

How Does Your

Facility Measure Up?

Holiday Recovery

Recipe

Exercise & Diet

How is Your Facility Doing?

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In This Issue...

Learn how to find their star rating! -p6

Do you want to

improve the lives of

dialysis patients?

Ask your facility if they

participate in the Facility

Peer Program. To be a part

of this program contact The

Renal Network at

1(800) 456-6919 and ask for

Quin Taylor.

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Time seems to fly as we are enjoying all

the holidays that occur during this winter

season. If you are like most people you

celebrated the winter holidays with food

feasts. That can mean you have added

some excess weight and this is the time to

try to get rid of it. That is easier said than

done in the Midwest winter! Outdoor

walks are not very appealing. So what can

we do? Find an indoor walking track,

climb the stairs in your home 10 times a

day, exercise in front of the TV, find a

buddy and go to the local gym and ride the

stationary bike….use your imagination, the

important part is to keep moving on a

regular basis.

I have found that my local public library

has several renal/ diabetic renal recipe

books available for checkout. Try

something new, but tasty. I often make

kidney friendly dinners and desserts for

guests at my home. It helps keep me on

track and we get to share delicious food

together. Sometimes I find a recipe for a

kidney friendly snack. I prepare it and

bring it to the dialysis clinic and share it

with other patients as we wait our turn.

Small portions are always the key, as we

are just looking to taste not overindulge.

Sharing and tasting some new and kidney

friendly food is always a delightful

experience.

The recommended renal diet can become

repetitive and somewhat boring if we are

not careful and creative. Often, that’s

when we “fall off the kidney diet wagon”

and consume foods not recommended for

us to eat. Sharing recipes and tasty items

with your fellow dialyzers, friends and

family really helps us stay healthy.

Sometimes I go online and just google

“Kidney friendly diet.” I have discovered

many interesting facts about what excess

potassium, salt and phosphorus can do to

our kidneys. I am always happy when I

learn something new about renal disease.

January 28 begins the Chinese Year of the

Rooster. To celebrate that, I am sharing a

recipe for chicken that is renal friendly,

very delicious and easy to prepare. I make

this for my family often. Although I am

the only one in my household who needs to

follow a renal diet, they love it as well!

Stay healthy, eat judiciously, exercise and

above all, laugh often!

Wow, 2017 is here!

Annette Montalbano is a member of the Patient

Advisory Council for Network 10, and also acts as

a Peer Representative for her dialysis unit. She

works continuously to help her fellow patients

become more knowledgeable about their kidney

disease.

By Annette Montalbano

3

Chicken With Caper Sauce

Serves 2

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 garlic clove, minced

8 ounces of boneless chicken breast, cut into

½ inch strips

Cooking spray

2 tablespoon olive oil, separated

2 tablespoons of chopped onion

½ cup chopped green pepper

2 teaspoons cornstarch

¼ cup of low sodium chicken broth

¼ cup of white wine

¼ teaspoon of poultry seasoning

2 teaspoons of capers, rinsed and drained

1. Combine lemon juice, rosemary, 1 tablespoon of oil, and garlic in Ziploc bag. Add

chicken and coat with marinade on all sides. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Spray a non stick frying with the cooking spray. Add chicken and fry until partially

cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same frying pan, add one tablespoon of oil, and sauté vegetables until tender

crisp, Combine corn starch, broth, poultry seasoning, wine and capers. Add to vegetables

and bring to a simmer. Add chicken and stir until the chicken is fully cooked, about 3

minutes.

Nutrients per serving

Calories 234

Protein 26 g

Carbohydrates 5 g

Fat 10 g

Cholesterol 69 mg

Sodium 286 mg

Potassium 256 g

Phosphorous160 mg

Renal and Renal Diabetic Food Choices

3 meat

1 vegetable, low potassium

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Exercise is an important part of any lifestyle, but especially for patients with kidney

disease. Exercise has many physical and emotional benefits. It can help you maintain

your strength and reduce the risk of other health complications. Exercise can also

improve your mental health by reducing stress and anxiety. Many dialysis patients feel

like they’re too tired to exercise, but beginning an exercise routine can actually

increase energy levels.

Boost Your Mood

Exercise can greatly improve mental health. In general, people who regularly exercise

experience less stress, anxiety, and depression. Exercise elevates your mood and can

also improve sleep. With the mental and physical stress of kidney disease, physical

activity is an important tool to improve emotional well-being.

Maintain Strength

Patients with kidney failure often experience muscle loss due to the toxins and acids in

the blood. Exercise is key to gaining or maintaining muscle strength. Having the

strength and energy to accomplish daily tasks will help you have a better quality of life

and more independence.

Other Health Benefits

Physical activity can help control weight and reduce the risk of heart disease and

stroke. It also helps to lower blood pressure and control blood sugar levels.

Start Slow

Start out slow and gradually increase your activity level. Even 15 minutes of activity a

day can be helpful. Walking is a great way to get moving and has proven health

benefits.

Exercise Consult your doctor before beginning any exercise routine.

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These tips are basic guidelines. Your needs may vary. Always check

with your dietitian before making any changes to your diet.

Protein Protein is an important nutrient that’s especially important for dialysis patients, because

it aids in the growth and repair of muscles and other tissues that can be damaged due to

kidney disease. The amount of protein you need can depend on the type of dialysis you

receive.

Potassium Potassium helps your heartbeat stay regular and controls your muscle function. Too

much potassium can cause heart problems and muscle failure. Rinsing canned fruits

and vegetables can remove some excess potassium. Also try replacing dairy with

non-dairy substitutes. Try to avoid nuts since these are a high potassium snack.

Sodium Limit the amount of sodium you eat to help control your blood pressure and prevent

heart problems. A diet high in sodium can cause swelling and fluid build-up. Too much

sodium can also make your thirsty and push you over your fluid restriction. Avoid

table salt and opt for fresh or frozen vegetables to limit excess sodium intake. If you

use canned vegetables, choose low sodium options. Avoid too many processed foods

since these are also high in sodium.

Phosphorus Too much phosphorus buildup in your body can cause serious health problems. Avoid

foods high in phosphorus, such as dairy, soda, organ meats, poultry, nuts, and processed

foods. Make sure you read labels since phosphorus can be hidden in the ingredients.

Keep Track

Consider keeping a food journal to help you keep track of nutrient intake.

Diet Tips

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The information on Dialysis Facility Compare includes:

Dialysis center contact information and services offered

Clinical quality of care Star Ratings

Clinical quality information

Patient experience of care survey results

Check out the website. Dialysis Facility

Compare allows patients and their

caregivers to search for dialysis centers,

compare them side by side, and find the

right one for them.

Patients who are currently receiving

dialysis, can use the site to understand how

Medicare measures the quality of care

dialysis centers provide.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid

Services (CMS) has calculated Star Ratings

for every Medicare certified dialysis center,

with five stars as the highest rating. The

Star Ratings combine nine clinical quality

measures of how well dialysis centers care

for their patients and how often each center

uses best practices to care for its patients

and keep them healthy.

Dialysis Facility Compare also contains the

results of patient experience of care survey

which includes information about how well

staff listen and how clean the facility is.

Visit http://go.cms.gov/DFC to see how

patients rate the quality of care your

dialysis center provides.

How do patients rate

your dialysis center?

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Have You Seen This

Certificate? The ESRD QIP is designed to provide

better care to patients with ESRD. It is

possible that your facility will receive a

payment reduction if it does not perform

well enough. You will not be impacted

financially by the ESRD QIP.

You can use the ESRD QIP to see how

your facility's performance under the

ESRD QIP compares to the performance of

facilities nationwide in the same program.

CMS requires facilities to post

certificates describing how they performed

on the ESRD QIP. You can also find this

information on Dialysis Facility

Compare, available for free at

Medicare.gov. You can ask your facility

about its ESRD QIP scores, including its

Total Performance Score.

This information can be used as one tool

among many when making choices about

your care. It is important to note that the

ESRD QIP is not the only method for

evaluating quality care at a facility; you

should consider other factors as well.

For more information visit:

https://www.cms.gov or

http://go.cms.gov/DFC

Have you been vaccinated? As a dialysis patient, it’s important that you keep your vaccinations up to date to ward

off illnesses. It’s likely your immune system is weakened due to kidney disease so

vaccinations will help you be as healthy as possible.

You should be vaccinated for:

• Influenza (flu) each year

• Hepatitis B – A series of four shots

• Pneumococcal Pneumonia – Every 5 years

Check with your dialysis

care team for details and

make sure you are

up-to-date!

The role of The Renal Network is to promote and support

quality dialysis care and outcomes of ESRD patients and

kidney transplant patients in Network 10 (Illinois). Through

patient services, patient/professional education, quality

improvement practices for providers, and the collection,

analysis and exchange of relevant data, The Renal Network

works to achieve optimal wellness and a better quality of life

for renal disease patients.

To file a grievance, patients may call 1(800) 456-6919 or

download forms from our website: www.therenalnetwork.org, and

send to The Renal Network at the contact information listed.

The Role of

The Renal Network

Contact Us

Give us a call for more

information about our

services and resources.

The Renal Network

911 E. 86th Street, Ste. 202

Indianapolis, In 46240

(800) 456-6919

info@therenalnetwork.org

Visit us on the web at

www.therenalnetwork.org

Published under CMS contract HHSM-500-2016-00010C.

The Renal Network

911 E. 86th Street,

Suite 202

Indianapolis, In 46240

The Renal Outreach is a

publication by The Renal

Network and is a newsletter

for individuals and their

families living with chronic

kidney disease. The Renal

Network works to facilitate

the achievement of optimal

wellness for renal disease

patients, including those on

dialysis or who have

received a kidney transplant.