Kidney disease & treatment

Choosing not to treat your kidney disease

Some people choose to have no treatment for their kidney disease. You and your doctor may feel dialysis or transplant will not improve your health or make you feel better.

Choosing not to have dialysis or transplant means your health will slowly get worse and you will likely die much sooner than you would have with treatment. If you choose no treatment, doctors can talk to you about hospice and end-of-life care. Hospice is comfort care for dying patients and their families. It can include:

• Pain medicines
• Medicines to help with other symptoms
• Counseling or emotional care

If you choose no treatment, consider:

• Thinking about how family and friends can support your decision
• Talking about end-of-life plans with your doctor and family, including health care and hospice plans, legal and financial considerations, and other wishes