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Renal/Kidney Disease

Accommodation and Compliance: Renal/Kidney Disease

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About Renal/Kidney Disease

Kidney diseases are diseases of the kidney substance that alter the structure and function of the kidney. There are many diseases of the kidneys such as glomerulonephritis, pylonephritis, polycystic kidney, and lupus nephritis. The treatment and potential for recovery depends on the type of disease. Kidney diseases can lead to kidney failure. 

When an individual has mild kidney failure, dialysis or renal transplant is not required. However, the individual may need to take certain medications and abide by dietary restrictions. Dialysis is needed when the body alone can no longer remove enough waste products to sustain life.There are two forms of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Hemodialysis is a process where excess waste products and water are removed from the patient's blood, which is drawn through a special created vein in the forearm, into a dialysis solution. Hemodialysis requires the use of a machine and one dialysis session takes about four hours to complete, usually three times a week. Peritoneal dialysis is performed by introducing dialysis solution into the peritoneal (abdominal) cavity through a catheter. Waste products and excess water from the body are passed through a natural membrane lining of the peritoneal cavity, and the solution can be drained out of the abdomen into a bag and be thrown away. Peritoneal dialysis usually involves four exchanges per day. Accommodations for individuals with kidney disease differ dramatically from one person to another. 
 

Renal/Kidney Disease and the Americans with Disabilities Act

The ADA does not contain a definitive list of medical conditions that constitute disabilities. Instead, the ADA defines a person with a disability as someone who (1) has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more "major life activities," (2) has a record of such an impairment, or (3) is regarded as having such an impairment. For more information about how to determine whether a person has a disability under the ADA, see How to Determine Whether a Person Has a Disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA).

Accommodating Employees with Renal/Kidney Disease

People with limitations from renal/kidney disease may develop some of the limitations discussed below, but seldom develop all of them. Also, the degree of limitation will vary among individuals. Be aware that not all people who are aging will need accommodations to perform their jobs and many others may only need a few accommodations. The following is only a sample of the possibilities available. Numerous other accommodation solutions may exist.

Questions to Consider:

  1. What limitations is the employee experiencing?
  2. How do these limitations affect the employee and the employee’s job performance?
  3. What specific job tasks are problematic as a result of these limitations?
  4. What accommodations are available to reduce or eliminate these problems? Are all possible resources being used to determine possible accommodations?
  5. Once accommodations are in place, would it be useful to meet with the employee to evaluate the effectiveness of the accommodations and to determine whether additional accommodations are needed?
  6. Do supervisory personnel and employees need training?

Accommodation Ideas:

Situations and Solutions:

The following situations and solutions are real-life examples of accommodations that were made by JAN customers. Because accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis, these examples may not be effective for every workplace but give you an idea about the types of accommodations that are possible.

Events Regarding Renal/Kidney Disease