I have a strong interest in helping people live productively and enjoyably as long as possible with kidney failure. When I worked directly with patients, I utilized the "5 E's" of rehabilitation developed by the Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council. I get lots of calls at the Life Options Rehabilitation Resource Center from people who are interested in rehabilitation but know that others have not attempted rehabilitation initiatives in their facilities. What do you think are barriers to implementing rehabilitation in your facility? What have you found to be effective in promoting rehabilitation with other team members, nephrologists, and administration? What specific activities have you found to be effective in achieving measurable or observable improvement in patients?

I'm completely new to kidney dialysis. Can you tell me where I can find information about these five "E"s of rehabilitation.

I'm happy that you asked. You can find information on the "5 E's" of renal rehabilitation on the Life Options Rehabilitation Program's web site at http://www.lifeoptions.org. The Life Options Rehabilitation Program is dedicated to helping dialysis patients realize their fullest potential. Toward this end, the Life Options Rehabilitation Advisory Council developed the "5 E's" paradigm for renal rehabilitation: Encouragement, Education, Exercise, Employment (productive living), and Evaluation. Life Options publishes free materials for patients and professionals that you can order using the web site's order form or by calling the Life Options Rehabilitation Resource Center at (800) 468-7777.