【Dialysis】What is Home Hemodialysis? (Interviewer: Eun-hye/Guest: Ryan)

Warning

This story contains information that does not apply to some areas and some patients.
Always check with your healthcare professional before considering introducing Home HemoDialysis.

"Join Eun-hye and Ryan in an insightful discussion on Home Hemodialysis! Explore the benefits, challenges, and personal stories in this engaging interview. Don't miss this enlightening conversation!"

Hi everyone! Welcome to our Channel where we talk about all kinds of Health stuff and share some helpful tips. Today we have a special guest, Mr. Ryan, who has been doing home hemodialysis for 10 years. Mr. Ryan, thanks for being here today.

Thanks for having me. It’s great to be here.

Mr. Ryan, can you tell us what home hemodialysis is and how you do it?

Sure. Home hemodialysis is a way to treat kidney failure which means your kidneys can't clean your blood well and get rid of the waste and extra water in your body. Home hemodialysis is like the hemodialysis you do at a dialysis center but you do it at home with a smaller and easier machine that you and your care partner learn how to use.

What's a care partner and do you need one?

A care partner is someone who helps you with your dialysis treatments at home. It can be a family member, a friend or anyone willing and able to help you out. Some people can do home hemodialysis by themselves without a care partner but that depends on what your doctor says and if you can handle the treatment safely.

How often do you do home hemodialysis and how long does it take?

Well, that's different for everyone depending on how they feel and what they like. Some people do home hemodialysis three times a week for about 4 hours each time like hemodialysis you do at the center. Others do it more often like five or six times a week for shorter times or even every day for two or three hours. Some people even do it at night while they sleep. The more often or longer you do dialysis, the better you might feel and the more you can eat and drink would you want.

What are some of the good things about doing home hemodialysis?

There are a lot of good things about doing home dialysis. For me, the biggest one is having more control over my schedule in my life. I can choose when to do dialysis so I don't have to go to the centre or wait for a sheat. I can also work or study or do other things around my dialysis schedule. I also feel more comfortable doing dialysis at home where I have my own space and privacy. I also have more support for my family and friends who are involved in my care.

What are some of the hard things or bad things about doing home hemodialysis?

Well, there are some hard things, too. For example, you need to have enough space at home to store the supplies and equipment and you need to check if your water and electricity are good for the machine. You also have to be responsible for setting up and cleaning up the machine before and after each treatment and for telling your health care team if anything goes wrong or if you have any issues. You also have to be careful about not getting infections and follow the instructions carefully. Sometimes you might feel lonely or isolated doing dialysis at home so you need to keep in touch with your social worker or other support groups.

How did you decide to do home hemodialysis and what was the training like?

I decided to do home hemodialysis after talking to my doctor and learning about the different ways to treat kidney failure. I wanted to have more freedom and flexibility in my life and I felt confident that I could do the treatment at home with my wife is my care partner. The training took about 6 weeks during which we learned how to use the machine how to check my blood pressure and blood tests how to deal with any emergencies or problems and how to order and store the supplies. We also had an oncall nurse who could answer our questions or help us fix any problems over the phone.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about home hemodialysis?

My advice would be to learn as much as you can about home hemodialysis and talk to your doctor, your nurse, social workers and other patients who are doing it ask them about the good things and bad things about home hemodialysis and how it fits with their lifestyle and goals. Also, be realistic about what you expect and what you can do and be ready to face some challenges and difficulties along the way. But also remember that home hemodialysis can be a rewarding and empowering experience that can improve your quality of life and health outcomes. It's not for everyone but it might be for you.

Mr Ryan, thank you so much. Today we talked about home hemodialysis. We hope this program was helpful to you. See you next time.