Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks
Get free kidney-friendly recipe collections from DaVita dietitians.
Today’s Kidney Diet Cookbooks
Get free kidney-friendly recipe collections from DaVita dietitians.
With myDaVita, get instant access to free cookbooks like this.
If you are a highly motivated dialysis patient who wants to maintain an active lifestyle and take greater responsibility for your care, then home dialysis might be a good treatment option for you. You and your doctor will discuss the quality of life benefits, as well as any medical risks and decide together if dialysis at home is right for you. Naturally, your doctor will use his or her judgment to determine whether you are a good candidate for home dialysis and guide your decision based on your individual needs.
There are some basic requirements for anyone considering dialysis at home:
There are multiple at home dialysis treatment options. Many patients perform peritoneal dialysis at home with no assistance. In general, most home hemodialysis patients must have a dialysis partner who can assist them with their treatments. This can be a spouse, parent, child, professional caregiver or other responsible individual who can be relied upon to provide support.
Friends or family members usually serve as dialysis partner, but patients also have the option of hiring a dialysis nurse or technician. Another option patients can take advantage of is to identify a roommate or neighbor who also wants to undergo at home dialysis and serve as each other's dialysis partner. By working with a trained technician or with another dialysis patient, many patients find at home dialysis even easier.
Yes. One of the first steps before you begin receiving treatment is participating in a comprehensive safety and training program. In addition to receiving extensive training on how to conduct safe and efficient home dialysis, your dialysis provider and doctor will be in contact with you on a regular basis and see you monthly at a clinic. Most dialysis providers should also offer 24/7 phone support.
Home dialysis treatment has similar costs as in-center treatment. Medicare and most private insurance plans provide coverage for qualified patients.