Home treatment options: the benefits of dialyzing at home

Trying to decide the best treatment option for kidney failure can be a very confusing process. Newly diagnosed people are faced with choosing a treatment option, while those who are currently on dialysis periodically reevaluate their treatment plan.

Before deciding on what type of dialysis to do, it is important to understand what the best treatment is for your lifestyle. People living with kidney disease can choose to do dialysis at home or at a dialysis center. Home dialysis offers many benefits to people who are faced with this tough decision.

People who want to dialyze at home can do peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis. Each treatment offers benefits as well as some challenges. Knowing what each option is and how each option can best fit into your life is key in making the right decision. Once you have all the information, you can begin the process of deciding what option best fits your lifestyle.

There are a few things to consider when thinking about the best treatment option for you. Are you in school or planning to go to school? What support do you have at home? Do you want to have control over your care process? Your lifestyle and long- and short-term goals are important factors when choosing the best treatment modality.

Peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis offer people many benefits. Home modalities give people more flexibility in their schedules, like deciding what time of day you want dialyze.

Some of the benefits of peritoneal dialysis are that it preserves the remaining kidney function longer, it is a needle-free treatment and has flexible treatment schedules, with the ability to dialyze day or night.

A few benefits of home hemodialysis include no need to travel to a center three times a week, quicker average recovery time after treatment, improved heart health and improved blood pressure control.

Home dialysis modalities are gaining popularity as more people are getting education about dialysis treatment choices. People who receive dialysis options education in the early stages of kidney disease have the opportunity to make informed choices. A growing percentage of people are doing their dialysis at home. As people continue to learn about the benefits of home modalities, more of them will continue to choose peritoneal or home hemodialysis. With treatment options education and long- and short-term goal planning, people will be able to choose the modality that best fits their lifestyle.

Watch our free webinar led by Mikie Cooke and Erick Smith: Choosing the right treatment method — exploring home options