What is Home Hemodialysis (HHD)?
Hemodialysis is an ongoing dialysis treatment that helps your body remove excess fluid and waste products from your blood. It usually occurs in a dialysis center. However, home hemodialysis offers increased flexibility and convenience, allowing patients to manage and schedule treatment sessions.
During home hemodialysis, just like in-center dialysis, your blood is filtered and cleaned outside your body using an artificial kidney or dialyzer. Home hemodialysis is an ongoing treatment you can do safely and independently (or with a trusted care partner) from the comfort of your home, with support from your Innovative Renal Care team.
What are the Benefits of Home Hemodialysis
Home hemodialysis offers several benefits for patients who are willing and able to complete the required training and education.
- Greater independence and flexibility — patients have more autonomy in managing their treatments, allowing for dialysis sessions that fit their lifestyle
- Better quality of life — the added flexibility and independence of self-administered dialysis treatments contribute to a better overall quality of life and more restful sleep
- Enhanced fluid and blood pressure control — more frequent treatments may help better control fluid retention and improve blood pressure
- Decreased need for medications — more frequent dialysis sessions may reduce the amount of medication needed to control conditions like blood pressure and anemia
- Reduced travel requirements — eliminates the need for multiple trips to a dialysis center each week, saving patients time, money, and worry
Things to Consider Before Starting Home Hemodialysis
Home hemodialysis offers independence and flexibility, but it is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Be sure to discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider and nephrologist to determine which type of treatment best fits your lifestyle, schedule, and medical needs.
Here are some key areas to consider:
1. Training and Safety
Home dialysis is a medical procedure and patients must complete comprehensive training to perform it safely.
- Vascular Access Care: Learn to connect and disconnect your vascular access from the machine.
- Infection Control: Learn how to keep equipment clean and prevent infection.
- Emergency Preparedness: Know how to troubleshoot technical issues and understand emergency procedures.
- Support System: Identify a primary support person who can assist during dialysis or emergency situations.
2. Space and Home Setup
Patients will need to prepare a dedicated, clean area in their home for treatment.
- Designated Area: Create a well-lit, clean space where treatments can be done.
- Electrical/Water Supply: Ensure treatment area has adequate access to electrical and water sources.
- Storage Requirements: Designate a clean, dry area for storing supplies.
- Make Adjustments: Be prepared to reorganize rooms to accommodate the dialysis machine and large shipments of supplies.
3. Medical Monitoring and Routine
Patients will take on more responsibility, which includes good record keeping.
- Daily Records: Maintain a log of vital signs, fluid removal, and treatment details.
- Routine Follow-ups: Continue attending all scheduled check-ups with their care team for monitoring.
- Communication: Maintain regular contact with their care team for ongoing support and treatment adjustments.
4. Lifestyle and Mental Readiness
- Commitment: Home hemodialysis requires dedication, but it often leads to improved energy levels and a better quality of life.
- Adaptability: Be prepared to learn new skills and adapt to a new daily routine.
Is Home Hemodialysis Right for You?
While at-home dialysis may not be right for everyone, you may be a good candidate if you meet the medical requirements and are willing to undergo training. Your nephrologist or dialysis care team can explain the procedure, assess your home environment, and evaluate your ability and willingness to self-manage your care.
If you answer yes to many of the questions below, you may want to talk to your dialysis care team about the benefits of home hemodialysis and to find out if it is a good fit:
- Are you motivated and willing to learn?
- Do you live a busy and active lifestyle?
- Do you want to avoid traveling to the dialysis center multiple times a week?
- Do you want more flexibility in your lifestyle choices?
- Do you want to do treatments at your own pace and space?
- Do you want to manage your hemodialysis treatments and care?
- Can you manage your treatments independently or do you need a trusted care partner?
How IRC Supports Home Hemodialysis Patients
Innovative Renal Care can provide the training, support, and guidance needed to begin dialysis treatments from the comfort of home. You do not have to go through this alone. The skilled and compassionate dialysis care team at Innovative Renal Care is here to help.
While home dialysis treatments eliminate your need to travel back and forth from Innovative Renal Care several times a week, regular dialysis center visits and follow-ups are crucial to your treatment plan. These visits allow our skilled dialysis care team to evaluate your overall health and adjust your treatment plan if needed to ensure optimal health outcomes.
Patients are at the core of everything we do. We provide a higher level of engagement by meeting patient needs beyond dialysis treatment, whether that is evaluating treatment options, coordinating care, navigating insurance questions, or educating on a kidney friendly diet. Our goal is to deliver exceptional care so that every patient can live their best possible life.
Delivering More Tomorrows
At Innovative Renal Care, we are committed to delivering a dialysis experience that goes beyond the treatment itself. Every center, every care team member, and every interaction is guided by our commitment to collaboration, innovation, and data driven care.
Schedule a consultation to find out if at-home dialysis is right for you.
Learn more about our ongoing commitment to deliver more tomorrows to our patients, their families, and friends.
