ACHC Announces Long-Term Care Dialysis Certification

Accreditation Commission for Health Care, Inc. (ACHC) will offer a new Long-Term Care Dialysis Certification that will be available to all providers, regardless of accreditor. The certification focuses on understanding individual residents’ unique needs for dialysis treatment; infection control before, during, and after treatment; and education and training for both dialysis and long-term care staff members relating to the delivery of quality care.

In 2017, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) acknowledged the benefits of dialysis performed in a long-term care or other skilled nursing facility when that is the patient’s place of residence. Guidance from CMS introduced in 2018 and revised in 2023 permits hemodialysis in nursing homes, allowing facilities that are contracted with an end-stage renal dialysis provider to offer dialysis services to residents.

“ACHC’s Long-Term Care Dialysis Certification incorporates the existing requirements for home dialysis care with additional standards that recognize the higher acuity level of dialysis patients living in long-term care or skilled nursing facilities,” said Teresa Hoosier, associate clinical director for renal dialysis accreditation at ACHC. “Our dual focus on continuous improvement in clinical outcomes and efficient operational practices supports the need for effective treatment plans for these patients through collaboration between the dialysis provider and the facility staff.”