The Story Behind the Dialysis Planner
by Living Unfiltered, LLC
Why a Dialysis Nurse Created a Weekly Wellness Planner for Patients — and Why Facilities Are Embracing It
When you work in dialysis long enough, you start to see patterns that go beyond lab values and treatment schedules. You see the daily struggles your patients face — balancing appointments, medications, diet restrictions, transportation, and still trying to live their lives outside the dialysis chair. As a dialysis nurse, I’ve witnessed firsthand how overwhelming that can be, and how much organization, encouragement, and personal reflection can improve a patient’s sense of control and overall well-being.
That’s where the idea for the Dialysis Patient Weekly Wellness Planner was born.
Seeing the Need Beyond the Clinic
Dialysis is more than a medical treatment — it’s a lifestyle adjustment that affects nearly every part of a person’s routine. Patients often juggle multiple medications, coordinate rides to treatment, track fluid limits, and remember to communicate symptoms or changes to their care team.
I saw that many of my patients wanted to take a more active role in their care, but didn’t always have a simple, structured way to do it. They kept notes on scraps of paper, tried to use generic planners, or relied on memory. What they really needed was something created for them — a practical, uplifting tool that supported their medical needs while also helping them reflect on their journey and stay positive.
A Planner Designed with Patients — and Their Care Team — in Mind
The Dialysis Patient Weekly Wellness Planner is more than just a calendar. It’s a guided system designed to help patients stay on top of their health while nurturing their emotional and mental well-being.
Each planner includes:
- Space for emergency contacts, insurance, and medical team details, so critical information is always close at hand.
- Medication and symptom trackers, giving patients an easy way to communicate with their dialysis team and spot patterns early.
- Weekly sections for scheduling treatments, jotting down appointments, tracking moods, and setting personal goals.
- Monthly reflections with suggested wellness activities and general dialysis-friendly diet tips.
This isn’t just about being organized — it’s about building empowerment and engagement. Patients who use planners like this are more likely to stay adherent to treatment, report symptoms early, and feel more connected to their care team.
Interactive Preview
Collaboration Across the Dialysis Care Team
To make sure this planner truly met the needs of dialysis patients, I collaborated with my dietitian and social worker, two key members of every dialysis care team.
- The dietitian helped ensure that each monthly section includes practical, generalized dialysis diet tips — small, achievable reminders that support good nutrition without overwhelming patients.
- The social worker contributed guidance on topics like self-reflection, mental well-being, and setting realistic personal goals, helping to make the planner a supportive companion for patients navigating the emotional side of dialysis.
Together, we designed something that addresses the whole person — not just their treatment schedule.
Why Dialysis Facilities Are Choosing to Give the Planner as a Gift
For dialysis facilities, this planner is more than a kind gesture. It’s an investment in patient engagement and satisfaction — two outcomes that directly affect facility quality metrics and patient retention.
Facilities that provide the planner as a holiday or new-year gift for their patients often find that it does more than just brighten someone’s day. It sends a message: We care about your well-being beyond the dialysis chair.
1. Supports Facility Quality Metrics
Centers are evaluated on a number of quality indicators — including treatment adherence, hospitalization rates, and patient satisfaction. A planner that helps patients organize their care, record symptoms, and communicate with staff can directly support these metrics by encouraging proactive participation in care.
2. Enhances the Patient Experience
Small, thoughtful gestures go a long way. When patients receive a high-quality, personalized planner with their facility’s name and contact information, they feel valued and connected. It transforms a practical tool into a symbol of partnership between the patient and the care team.
3. Strengthens Facility Branding
Each planner is custom printed with the facility’s name, address, and phone number on the front cover — a professional, personalized touch that reflects the facility’s commitment to patient-centered care. It reinforces brand identity in a subtle, meaningful way that patients appreciate.
4. Encourages Multidisciplinary Collaboration
Because the planner integrates space for diet, symptom tracking, and goal setting, it promotes communication between patients and the entire care team — nurses, dietitians, and social workers alike. It can become a shared tool for guiding discussions during monthly care plan reviews or routine check-ins.
5. Affordable, Meaningful, and Practical
Many facilities look for gifts that are both thoughtful and useful. The planner checks both boxes. It’s designed to last the entire year, printed on premium 80lb paper with a durable 100lb cover, and conveniently sized at 5.5” x 8.5” — perfect for carrying in a small bag or purse. With a minimum order of 30 planners, facilities can provide a lasting resource for every patient at an accessible cost.
Built from Real Clinical Experience
This planner wasn’t dreamed up in an office or marketing department — it came from real dialysis care experience. Every page reflects the realities of what patients and staff navigate daily: treatment schedules, diet restrictions, medication changes, and the emotional toll of long-term therapy.
By creating a planner that blends practical organization with empathy and encouragement, the goal is simple: to help patients feel seen, supported, and empowered in their care.
A Year of Encouragement and Connection
Each month brings a new theme — a reflection prompt and activity designed to foster positivity, hope, and self-care. These small touches remind patients that their journey is about more than just numbers or charts; it’s about finding balance and celebrating small victories along the way.
For nurses, dietitians, and social workers, this planner can also become a tool for conversation and connection. It provides an easy way to ask patients how they’re feeling, what challenges they’re facing, and where they’re finding success — all within a framework that promotes partnership and understanding.
The Bigger Picture
At its core, the Dialysis Patient Weekly Wellness Planner is about improving the patient experience — and when patients thrive, so do facilities. Better communication, improved adherence, and stronger relationships all contribute to better outcomes.
It’s a small, meaningful tool with the potential for a big impact — one planner, one patient, one week at a time.
About the Author:
Christopher Czajkowski is a dedicated dialysis nurse with over 11 years of experience caring for patients with kidney disease. Combining hands-on clinical expertise with a passion for patient education and empowerment, he created the Dialysis Patient Weekly Wellness Planner to support patients in managing their health and improving quality of life.
