When it comes to dialysis treatment, it’s important that you choose the method right for you. As dialysis can be such a time-consuming process, many people choose to do their haemodialysis at home. This can offer more flexibility in terms of when you do your dialysis and how many hours you do, particularly as doing additional hours is better for your health.
Doing your haemodialysis at home follows the same process as centre-based haemodialysis, except that it’s done at home.
There are several challenges involved with setting up and managing home-based dialysis but overcoming them means you can have sessions in a place that’s familiar and comfortable for you.
If you choose home-based haemodialysis, you’ll need to be able to insert your own needles, which are used to extract your blood and clean it through the dialysis machine. Training is provided by your renal unit and can take a number of weeks.
Equipment is provided to your home free of charge, however, you still need to take into consideration the initial costs like installing a new plumbing set up, and ongoing costs such as increased water and electricity bills. You may be eligible for financial support from the government.
Not everyone’s home is suitable for haemodialysis, so if you’re considering it, you should learn as much as you can. Our introduction to booklet series featuring home haemodialysis is a great place to start.
As mentioned, undergoing your haemodialysis at home can offer you greater flexibility. You’ll need to undergo this type of dialysis at least three times a week, with each session lasting four to five hours. You can also do it overnight while you sleep, which can be more comfortable to do in your own home.
Many people alternate their haemodialysis treatment every second day, equaling a total of four sessions a week.
