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Email: info@unitedhomerenal.com
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709 Angelita Drive Suite C
Weslaco, Texas 78596
What is Staff-Assisted Home Dialysis?
If you’re trying to make a decision about whether you’d like to opt for staff-assisted home dialysis or home dialysis treatment, then it’s important for you to consider the differences between these two options. While both options offer greater freedom and comfort than in-center treatment, they each have different things to offer patients. You’ll need to consider what you want your lifestyle to be like before you make a decision on which dialysis option is best for you.
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Who Performs Your Treatment?
One of the biggest differences between staff-assisted home dialysis and home dialysis is who performs your treatment. If you just opt for home dialysis, you will have a trained medical professional to administer the treatment and be given advice about keeping records of your treatment. With staff-assisted home dialysis, you won’t have to complete the treatment on your own. Instead, a licensed nurse will be responsible for doing it for you each and every visit.
Who Supports You?
During home dialysis, should you choose to use a care partner you’ll be responsible for your treatments, but you also have to select a care partner to help support you through the process. In most cases, a care partner is a spouse, family member, or close friend. Although this kind of support is comforting, it does require you to rely on someone else during your care, and you may feel bad about leaving this responsibility with someone. With staff-assisted home dialysis treatment, there is no need for a care partner. The licensed nurse who administers your treatment will support you, and you’ll always be under the supervision of your doctor. You can always have your family continue to support you, but you won’t need to take up much as much of their time.
What Your Dialysis Schedule Looks Like?
Another big difference between home dialysis treatment and staff-assisted home dialysis is the schedule that you set your dialysis on. When you’re responsible for administering your treatments, there are lots of things that you must consider when you set your schedule, such as how tired or how well you feel every day. You may have to do your dialysis when you’re not feeling up to it, and that can lead to mistakes or unfortunate side effects. With staff-assisted home dialysis, you won’t be responsible for the treatment, so you will be able to undergo it even if you are feeling tired. Your nurse will take care of it, so you don’t ever have to worry about it.
Different types of home hemodialysis
Three types of hemodialysis can be performed at home.
They are:
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Conventional home hemodialysis: You do this four-five times a week for 2.5-3 hours or longer each time. You and your care partner are trained to do dialysis safely and to handle any problems that may come up. Training may take from several weeks to a few months.
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Short daily home hemodialysis: This is usually done five to seven times a week using new machines designed for short daily home treatment. Treatments usually last about two hours each. You and your care partner are trained over several weeks. Because you are doing dialysis more often, less fluid generally needs to be removed each time. This reduces symptoms like headaches, nausea, cramping and feeling “washed out” after treatment.
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Whatever treatment option you choose, it is important to know if you are getting the right amount of dialysis. Tests should be done regularly to check the amount of dialysis you receive. For more information, speak with your doctor and your dialysis care team.
Added benefits of short daily and nocturnal home hemodialysis
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Many reports indicate that people using short daily home hemodialysis:
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Take less medication to control blood pressure and anemia
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Take less medication to keep phosphorus under control to help prevent bone disease
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Have improvements in neuropathy (nerve damage) and less restless leg syndrome
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Feel better during dialysis and less “washed out” after
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Have more energy for daily tasks
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Sleep better
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Have fewer and shorter hospital stays
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Have better quality of life
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Live longer
United Home Renal Care, Inc. dialysis may be the right treatment for you if you work, or travel regularly and if it suits your lifestyle and medical condition. Doing dialysis at home with increase the flexibility and independence of your lifestyle on dialysis. It will save you frequent trips to the hospital or clinic giving you more freedom to be with loved ones in the comfort of your home.
