Home dialysis is when people perform dialysis at home. Some people do this on their own, and others have help from a family member or another caregiver.
Hemodialysis at home: Instead of travelling to a clinic or hospital and having a healthcare provider connect you to a machine, you and/or a caregiver learn how to use the dialysis machine at home. Training time varies from person to person but is usually around a total of six weeks. After training, you’ll be able to dialyze at home (ideally at night while you sleep).
One of the main advantages of home hemodialysis is schedule flexibility. Some examples of home hemodialysis schedules are as follows:
- Home Nocturnal Dialysis
- Dialysis treatment during sleep, typically 5 nights a week for 6-9 hours.
- Short Daily Dialysis
- Dialysis treatment done during waking hours, 6-7 days a week for 2-3 hours.
Some Benefits of Home Hemodialysis (HHD):
- You don’t have to come to the hospital three times a week
- More control over when you dialyze
- Fewer dietary and fluid restrictions compared to in-centre dialysis
- improves appetite
Home Hemodialysis Fact Sheets
The links below will explain the basics about your care, help you understand how hemodialysis works, and how to manage your hemodialysis at home. Please speak to your renal care team if you have any questions.
