Healthcare professional adjusting a dialysis machine in a clinic. Healthcare professional adjusting a dialysis machine in a clinic.

Navigating the Transition- 8 Tips for Starting At-Home Dialysis

Patients undergoing dialysis treatment are always under immense pressure to match their schedules with regular trips to dialysis centers1. They have to compromise their leisure and family time along with lots of money. Regular visits to clinics are time-consuming and very expensive.

Therefore, most patients are shifting toward dialysis at home. They find it more convenient, time-saving, and friendly.

1. What Is At-Home Dialysis?

Dialysis is a very common medical procedure or treatment to remove waste, excess fluids, and toxins from the blood when patients’ kidneys fail2 to perform properly. This treatment is usually provided in clinics or hospitals where patients have to visit at regular times.

At-home dialysis allows kidney patients to perform the dialysis procedure at home. There are two ways for it-

  • Peritoneal Dialysis(PD)- In this method, a solution is added to the abdominal cavity and waste products are removed through the peritoneal membrane. This technique is suitable for patients with flexible schedules. It can be performed anywhere and anytime, even while sleeping or traveling.
  • Home Hemodialysis3(HD)- This treatment uses a machine for dialysis through an artificial kidney called a dialyzer. This dialysis can be done frequently so patients can get their blood purified at a faster pace.

Patients can choose any of these methods of at-home dialysis depending on their living style and medical requirements.

2. Some Essential Tips for Starting At-Home Dialysis

Starting at-home dialysis is a significant transition for patients. But, it demands careful planning and proper medical guidance. Here we bring you some essential tips that must be followed to begin at-home dialysis successfully.

2.1. Consult the Professional

If you want to switch to at-home dialysis treatment, the most crucial is to consult your doctor or healthcare team. They will provide you with your detailed health condition and suggest the most suitable way (Peritoneal dialysis/Home Hemodialysis) accordingly.

2.2. Proper Training

One should not proceed with dialysis at home without proper training. The patient and the caregivers should attend all training sessions provided by the health team or doctors to understand the basic do’s and don’ts.

This includes knowledge about the equipment, safety measures, and medical procedures.

2.3. Arrange a Proper Dialysis Area

Once you have decided to go with dialysis at home the next important step is to organize a comfortable dialysis space. The dialysis area or room should be properly ventilated, well-lit, and equipped with all essential tools.

2.4. Set a Routine

To achieve effective results, the patients need to follow routines strictly. There should be specific times set for dialysis, meals, medications, and rest.

2.5. Maintain Hygiene

Hygiene practices shall also be strictly followed to avoid any type of infection. 

  • The Person handling the equipment should wash hands before and after the dialysis.
  • The dialysis area should be cleaned and sanitized regularly4.

2.6. Diet and Fluid Management5

Fluid management plays a very crucial role in the diet plans for people on dialysis. Prepare a diet chart after consulting the doctor or specialist and follow it strictly. Also, monitor the fluid intake regularly.

2.7. Monitoring and Reporting

Regularly monitor your blood pressure, weight, and other required laboratory values. Stay connected with your doctor for any intervention or suggestion.

2.8. Be Prepared for Any Emergency

Everyone in the family including the patient, other members, or caretakers should be familiar with the family procedures and medical assistance needed in such cases. Always have an emergency kit6 and immediate action plan.

3. Benefits of At-Home Dialysis

Dialysis done at home is beneficial for patients in many ways:

3.1. Better Health Outcomes

At-home dialysis can be performed frequently and at patients’ convenience. Frequent dialysis results in lesser accumulation of wastes in blood with the least side effects. Thus, patients experience better health and quicker recovery.

3.2. Saves Traveling Expenses

For in-center dialysis, patients need to make visits to a particular clinic, and it costs a lot. Home dialysis reduces the cost of traveling.

3.3. Saves Time 

Patients who opt for dialysis at home can schedule their dialysis at their convenience. They don’t have to travel long to the clinics. All this saves lots of time that they can utilize with family or in other preferences.

3.4. Better Understanding of Disease

Patients who are directly involved in their treatments gain a detailed insight into their health conditions and requirements. It develops awareness towards health in them.

3.5. Improved Life

With benefits like saving traveling expenses7 and time, and understanding the disease and its treatment, the patients have complete control over their treatment. They become more responsible, aware, and stress-free.

End Note

At-home dialysis allows patients to tailor their treatments according to their needs. It is a very simple and helpful way to deal with your disease if performed with careful planning, training, and commitment.

Sources:

  1. Corbett, Richard W., et al. “Epidemiology of COVID-19 in an urban dialysis center.” Journal of the American Society of Nephrology: JASN 31.8 (2020): 1815. ↩︎
  2. Bruci, Adriano, et al. “Very low-calorie ketogenic diet: a safe and effective tool for weight loss in patients with obesity and mild kidney failure.” Nutrients 12.2 (2020): 333. ↩︎
  3. Kallenbach, Judith Z. “Review of Hemodialysis for Nurses and Dialysis Personnel-E-Book: Review of Hemodialysis for Nurses and Dialysis Personnel-E-Book.” (2020). ↩︎
  4. Jacksch, Susanne, et al. “Metagenomic analysis of regularly microwave-treated and untreated domestic kitchen sponges.” Microorganisms 8.5 (2020): 736. ↩︎
  5. Perel, Azriel. “Using dynamic variables to guide perioperative fluid management.” Anesthesiology 133.4 (2020): 929-935. ↩︎
  6. Sanjana, Parvathi, and M. Prathilothamai. “Drone design for first aid kit delivery in emergency situation.” 2020 6th international conference on advanced computing and communication systems (ICACCS). IEEE, 2020. ↩︎
  7. Park, Sangwon, Mina Woo, and Juan L. Nicolau. “Determinant factors of tourist expenses.” Journal of Travel Research 59.2 (2020): 267-280. ↩︎

Last Updated on by Icy Health Editorial Team

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Icy Health Editorial Team

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