Home dialysis basics
Your home dialysis health care team
When you do at-home dialysis, you’re never alone. You have an entire medical team focused on your care. These health care professionals will educate you about the different at-home treatments so that with your doctor you can determine which form of home dialysis is right for you. They will also be there to train you, make changes to your dialysis treatment when necessary, monitor your health to make sure you are achieving your best possible results and support you every step of the way.
Although there is much overlap in the interactions each of these professionals will have with you, they each have their areas of specific focus.
Your home dialysis team will be made up of:
Your nephrologist
Your nephrologist is the physician specializing in your kidney care. He or she is the one who will decide, with you, when you should begin dialysis. Your nephrologist will also prescribe your dialysis treatment and monitor your ongoing care. You will have in-center visits once a month in which your nephrologist may be present. If you do not see your nephrologist at the DaVita clinic, he or she will most likely schedule a separate visit for you once a month in his or her office to assess your medical condition and determine if any changes need to be made to your current dialysis prescription. If your doctor would like to see you more than once a month, he or she will be able to schedule additional visits with you.
Your peritoneal dialysis (PD) or home hemodialysis (HHD) nurse
Your nephrology nurse is the nurse specializing in your kidney care. When you decide to do home dialysis, you will be assigned a nurse who will help educate you about your health condition, meet with you during your in-center check ups and communicate information about your health to your nephrologist. He or she will also teach you how to do the home treatment that you and your doctor have selected. Home hemodialysis (HHD) training takes four to six weeks, and peritoneal dialysis (PD) training takes one to two weeks. During this time, you will get to know your nurse well and will have plenty of opportunities to ask him or her any questions you may have.
Your nephrology or home-training nurse is the point of first contact for most questions or problems that may arise related to your dialysis. In most communities, a nurse will be available to you by phone 24 hours a day.
Your home-training nurse
When you decide to do home dialysis, you will be assigned a home-training nurse. He or she will teach you how to do the home treatment that you and your doctor have selected. Home hemodialysis (HHD) training takes four to six weeks, and peritoneal dialysis (PD) training takes one to two weeks. During this time, you will get to know your home-training nurse well and will have plenty of opportunities to ask him or her any questions you may have. If you choose peritoneal dialysis (PD), your PD nurse will be your home-training nurse.
Your renal dietitian
Your renal dietitian will serve as a dietary consultant to you and your family. He or she will review your lab reports and provide support, education and diet tips tailored to your specific needs. Your diet plays a big role in living a healthy life with end stage renal disease (ESRD). For this reason, your renal dietitian is an important member of your health care team.
Your renal social worker
Your renal social worker will help you and your family with the emotional side of adjusting to your health condition. He or she will perform a professional assessment of your social/medical condition and will provide emotional support and resources to you and your family. Your renal social worker will also be able to put you in touch with some support groups and will be able to help you with any job-related problems and Medicare or other insurance issues you may have.
Your care partner
If you are a home hemodialysis (HHD) patient, it is preferred that you have a care partner who will go through the training with you and be able to assist you during your treatments. If you are a peritoneal dialysis (PD) patient, you may also feel more comfortable doing your treatments with someone there to assist you. Your care partner can be your spouse, a family member, a friend or a hired care giver. This important person will be an active contributor to your care everyday and will provide physical as well as emotional support.
Your support system
Your support system is made up of your family, friends, coworkers and anyone else that plays a supportive role in your life. These people will be the ones cheering you up, keeping you active, assisting you with anything you need and helping you maintain your quality of life. They will be there when you need to talk about your health condition or when you need help forgetting about it. The best way to assemble a support system is to confide in people you trust about your health condition and ask for their support.
Summary
Your home dialysis health care team is made up of many individuals who are devoted to your care and support. These professionals will help make sure you never feel alone and equip you with what you need to achieve the best clinical results and live as active a lifestyle as possible on home dialysis.
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