LAPLACE — Dialysis patients who come to the new Fresenius Kidney Care facility in LaPlace receive individualized treatment to overcome the physical and emotional demands of kidney failure and live a normal, fulfilling life.

Located at 704 Belle Terre Blvd., the clinic offers in-center and at-home hemodialysis to flush the body of toxins, waste products and excess fluids after kidney function is lost.

Charge Nurse II Renada Taylor said the state-of-the-art facility was designed to be small and intimate so patients can receive individualized treatment plans and diet coaching.

An open house celebration Jan. 17 is planned to give the community an opportunity to tour the facility, learn about services offered and meet the treatment team.

“We just really want to see our patients thrive,” Taylor said. “It’s so important that we can deliver this individualized care with our clinic being smaller.”

Taylor said Fresenius Kidney Care patients come several times a week for hours at a time, and specialized staff members including a nurse, dietician and social worker aim to help them with all life changes resulting from kidney disease.

Hospital and Patient Services Manager Michael Wright said people experiencing kidney failure can still live life to its fullest when given the proper treatment and guidance.

“When patients are on dialysis, it’s a life-altering event,” Wright said. “I’m proud of the staff we have. They coach and mentor them through new diets so they can still live a full, healthy life on dialysis.”

As of now, Fresenius Kidney Care is open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. and has the seating capacity to provide individualized care to 13 patients per shift.

Taylor said the clinic might extend operating hours as the number of patients grows, but she and the rest of the staff are less concerned with expansion and more focused on supporting patients for the long haul.

“Hemodialysis requires endurance, and we want patients to know that we’re running this race with them,” she said.

Kidney disease has impacted the lives of everyone in the clinic, according to Taylor.

She was drawn to the field after her grandmother fell ill and passed away in 2008.

After making it into nursing school, Taylor absorbed as much as she could about the disease and treatment options.

Taylor said treating patients is close to her heart because it gives her a perspective of what her grandmother endured when she was on dialysis.

Patients can enroll in services by calling 1-866-939-1212, Wright said.

Staff members will be available to answer questions and walk interested individuals through the enrollment requirements.

For more information, call 1-800-377-4607.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in three American adults are at risk for developing kidney disease. The two leading causes of kidney disease are high blood pressure and diabetes.

Other risk factors include family history of kidney failure, kidney stones, smoking, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Dialysis is required for those who develop end stage kidney failure, which typically represents 85 to 90 percent loss of kidney function. Dialysis is used to remove waste, salt and extra water in the body, and keep safe levels of potassium, sodium and bicarbonate in the blood and control blood pressure.