Visitors
Visitors may sit with you during your treatment. Social support is an important element of our patients' care and well-being. Visitation is allowed in the treatment area according to established guidelines. With the continuing increase in our dialysis population, we want to provide a safe atmosphere in which patients can dialyze and staff can work as we attend to our patients' needs.

• Patients are allowed one visitor at a time. Visitors are asked to remain in the waiting area until all patients within that "pod" have been "put on" their machines. Nursing staff will then allow visitors into the treatment area. All visitors must leave that pod before any patient's "take off.” Visitors who hold sites will be called into the treatment area at the appropriate time. "Holding sites," means placing gentle pressure over the spots where the dialysis needles were removed after the treatment.
• Visits by children under the age of 12 must be scheduled and pre-approved by the nursing staff. Visits should be kept to ten (10) minutes.
• Staff reserves the right to ask visitors to return to the waiting area at any time.

Food and Beverage
For your safety, we do not recommend that you eat or drink during your dialysis treatment. However, if beverages and light snacks are still desired, they will be the patient's responsibility. This will allow staff to perform their primary function of caring for the immediate needs of the patients and allow for opportunities for continued patient education. We also hope to help our patients avoid nausea, vomiting, cramping, low blood pressure, and stress to the heart during dialysis treatments.

• One cup of ice is available to each patient. The ice will be distributed after all patients have been stabilized on their machines.
• Any drinks brought into the treatment area must be in a plastic container, can, carton, or disposable cup to avoid any broken glass.
• The fluid weight that is removed while you are on the dialysis machine will include the fluid you drink during your treatment. Food brought in for special occasions will not be given to patients or visitors in the treatment area, but can be set up in the waiting/reception area.
• Staff time needs to be utilized for patient care; therefore, staff will not be able to purchase items from the cafeteria for patients.
• Exceptions will be made in the event of medical necessity and at the discretion of the staff.

Waiting Area
For safety reasons, we ask that you remain in the waiting area until called by staff. This decreases congestion and assures patient safety while patients are being cared for in routine and emergency situations. Please use good common sense with regards to language and each person's right to privacy in the public waiting area.

• Please arrive in the waiting area at least 15 minutes before your scheduled treatment and remain there until staff calls you for your treatment.
• Please use the coat closets for your jackets and coats. They are located in the waiting area. As in any public place, do not leave valuables in the closets. Please keep money and valuables at home or keep them in your possession.
• When the nursing staff is ready to begin the treatment, you will be invited to enter the treatment area.
• After you have been called into the treatment area, weight and temperature will be taken. Medication orders for the Health Campus Pharmacy can be placed in the appropriated box, located at the front of the nurses' station.

Please note LGH section for waiting room information at Lancaster General Hospital.

Shoes
Shoes must be worn to and from the scale in the dialysis unit. This is to ensure that patients are safe from broken glass, debris, spills, etc. that can come in contact with our floors.

Clothing
When you come for a dialysis treatment, dress comfortably. Wear clothing that will be loose around your access area (i.e. loose or short sleeves if your access is in your arm) or clothing that can be easily washed should any skin antiseptics or blood be splashed on you. If you are using a temporary catheter for dialysis, please wear a v-neck shirt or a button-down shirt. This makes it easier to reach your catheter and makes it more comfortable for you to receive your dialysis treatment. Blankets and pillows are also available for your comfort.

Ordering Medication
Patients are responsible for ordering their own medications with their preferred pharmacy. For your convenience, the Health Campus Pharmacy is available to fill your prescriptions. We must give the Health Campus Pharmacy adequate notice to do this.

• Patients are welcome to choose the Health Campus Pharmacy as their preferred pharmacy. A two-day notice for reordering medications is required. If patients cannot honor this notice, they will be given prescriptions/pharmacy slips to take to a pharmacy of their choice.
• Medications can be reordered by writing the medications on a piece of paper, calling them in, or providing empty bottles for accurate reordering. Place bottles to be filled and/or a clearly written list of needed medications in the box provided at the front of the nurses' station after the nurse calls you into the treatment area. The box will be marked MEDICATION REORDERING BOX.
• All able-bodied patients choosing the Health Campus Pharmacy will be expected to pick up their own medications. The pharmacy is located at the main entrance of the building. Evening patients are asked to pick up their medications before their treatments because the Health Campus Pharmacy closes at 5 p.m. The Health Campus Pharmacy hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Televisions
An individual television is provided for your entertainment while you are on dialysis. Earphones are needed in order to hear the television. You will need to purchase earphones and bring them with you each treatment. The in-patient unit at Lancaster General Hospital provides three large televisions that are shared among the patients. No earphones are required at the in-patient unit.

Fire
The dialysis unit Fire and Safety plan will be reviewed with you periodically. There is a short video describing the plan that can be shown to you during your treatment. There is a plan also posted at the scale. Your safety is important to us. The police and fire departments automatically respond to any alarm. If we should need to evacuate to a nearby office building or leave the building, the staff will turn off your machine, clamp your needles, and assist you to safety. Remember: do not use the elevators in the building of the fire. The nurses will take a prepared box of supplies with them to help you pull your needles at the safer location.

Weather
The Hemodialysis Unit is always open during regularly scheduled hours, even in poor weather conditions. If the weather is bad, it is best to call your unit to confirm your appointment time. In these cases treatment times may need to be altered. We expect you to come, so please explore back-up transportation possibilities (e.g. four-wheel drive) in case of bad weather. If you cannot come in extremely bad weather, please severely restrict your fluids and food portions until your next treatment.

Lancaster General Hospital In-Patient Unit
If you are a new dialysis patient, or if your health needs require you to dialyze at the hospital, there are a few things we would like you to know about our unit based in Lancaster General Hospital.

• Parking is available in the James Street lot. Wheelchairs should be available at the entrance. If you are coming in alone, remember that there is a hospital phone right by the door. You may use this phone to dial our extension 4910 for assistance into the unit.
• You will receive a ticket when you enter the parking lot. Please bring this ticket to the unit, where we will provide a stamp to ensure free parking.
• The LGH unit is located on the 1st floor also called the Lobby floor. We are on the Lime Street side of the hospital near the Physical Therapy Department. The in-patient unit shares the waiting room with Physical Therapy. Please come immediately into the unit when you arrive. We will direct you to the waiting room, if needed.