Abstract
Dialysis patients in Japan are becoming older. Elderly patients often have functional deterioration due to age and the presence of multiple complications, and further care and support are required because of sarcopenia, frailty, and dementia. For dialysis treatment for the elderly, consideration is given as to whether dialysis therapy will medically benefit the patient, and hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis (PD) is selected after careful examination of their respective advantages and disadvantages. In addition to the satisfaction level and quality of life, it is also necessary to consider the burden on caregivers. For patients who need nursing care and support, it is essential to promote the utilization of social resources through collaboration between medical and nursing-care insurance, and to strengthen regional cooperation while constructing community-based integrated care systems. Assisted PD is considered to be one of the important methods to support dialysis for the elderly.
