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Find a Dialysis Center

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    1. About Kidney Disease
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      3. Kidney Disease Stages
      4. What Is a Nephrologist?
      5. What to Expect with CKD
      6. Kidney Disease Management
      7. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
      8. How Kidneys Work
      9. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
    2. Treatments
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Dialysis Basics
      3. Benefits of Home Dialysis
      4. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
      5. Home Hemodialysis
      6. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
      7. In-Center Hemodialysis
      8. Transplant
      9. Insurance & Managing Costs
      10. Choosing Not to Treat
    3. Life On Dialysis
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      3. Staying Engaged
      4. Staying Healthy
      5. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
      6. Tips for Loved Ones
      7. PatientHub
    4. Recipes & Nutrition
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Recipes
      3. Managing Your Diet
      4. Fluid Management on Dialysis
      5. Dialysis Diet Planning
      6. Cookbooks
    5. Thrive Central
      1. CKD
      2. Dialysis
      3. Diet & Nutrition
      4. Stories
      5. Wellness
      6. See All
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    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center
    Permission to detect location was denied Current location could not be determined
      Try a detailed search

      Need help? Call 1-888-373-1470

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      1. About Kidney Disease
        1. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
          1. Symptoms
          2. Risk Factors
          3. Causes
          4. Diagnosis and Testing
          5. GFR Calculator
        2. Kidney Disease Stages
          1. Stage 1
          2. Stage 2
          3. Stage 3
          4. Stage 4
          5. Stage 5
        3. What Is a Nephrologist?
        4. What to Expect with CKD
        5. Kidney Disease Management
          1. Kidney Diet Basics
          2. CKD Medications
          3. Your Kidney Care Team
          4. Diabetes
          5. High Blood Pressure
        6. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
          1. Acute Kidney Injury Treatment and Recovery
        7. How Kidneys Work
        8. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
      2. Treatments
        1. Dialysis Basics
          1. How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work
          2. Starting Dialysis
          3. Types of Dialysis Access
          4. Your Care Plan
          5. Dialysis Medications
          6. Monitoring Your Lab Results
        2. Benefits of Home Dialysis
        3. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. PD Access
          4. PD Training
          5. PD Monitoring
          6. Your Care Team
        4. Home Hemodialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. HD Training
          4. HD Monitoring
          5. Your Care Team
        5. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
        6. In-Center Hemodialysis
          1. In-Center Treatment Options
          2. What to Expect
          3. Types of Vascular Access for Hemodialysis
          4. Your Care Team
          5. How to Choose a Center
        7. Transplant
          1. Finding a Kidney Donor
          2. Considering Kidney Donation
        8. Insurance & Managing Costs
          1. Understanding Medicare Coverage
          2. Understanding Medicare Advantage
          3. Understanding Employer Plans
        9. Choosing Not to Treat
      3. Life On Dialysis
        1. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
          1. Managing Your Emotions
          2. Talking About Dialysis
          3. Intimacy
          4. Body Image and Dialysis
          5. Building Your Dialysis Support Network
        2. Staying Engaged
          1. Tips for Working While on Dialysis
          2. In-Center Activities
          3. Hobbies
        3. Staying Healthy
          1. Managing Your Time on Dialysis
          2. Dialysis & Exercise
          3. Weight Management
          4. Avoiding Infection
          5. Managing Multiple Conditions
          6. Fighting the Flu
        4. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
        5. Tips for Loved Ones
          1. In-Center Hemodialysis
          2. At-Home Hemodialysis
          3. At-Home Peritoneal Dialysis
        6. PatientHub
      4. Recipes & Nutrition
        1. Recipes
        2. Managing Your Diet
          1. Eating Well on a CKD Diet
          2. Eating Well on a Dialysis Diet
          3. Salt and Kidney Disease
          4. Potassium and Kidney Disease
          5. Phosphorus and Kidney Disease
          6. Talking With Your Dietitian
        3. Fluid Management on Dialysis
        4. Dialysis Diet Planning
          1. Kidney-Friendly Shopping
          2. Eating Out
          3. Holiday Diet Tips
          4. A Chef’s Advice | Chef Aaron McCargo on Kidney Friendly Meals
        5. Cookbooks
      5. Thrive Central
        1. CKD
        2. Dialysis
        3. Diet & Nutrition
        4. Stories
        5. Wellness
        6. See All
      Tips for Loved Ones
      Tips for Loved Ones
      OVERVIEW In-Center Hemodialysis At-Home Hemodialysis At-Home Peritoneal Dialysis
      1. Home
      2. Life On Dialysis
      3. Tips for Loved Ones
      4. At-Home Hemodialysis

      Your Role in At-Home Hemodialysis Treatment

      Share:

      If the person you care for has chosen at-home hemodialysis, you’ll need to be there during the procedure unless your loved one has been trained to do home hemodialysis on his or her own. At-home hemodialysis can be done 3 to 6 times a week for 2 to 8 hours at a time. If you’re partnering to help with treatment, make sure you can handle the commitment.

      Book icon

      Knowledge is key

      In the beginning, the person you care for will need to make a lot of choices, and you may be asked to help with those choices. Start by taking advantage of the wealth of information on this site. Check out the section on Treatment Options and take a look at our Treatment Decision Guide. It’s also a great idea to go to a KidneyCare:365 class with your loved one(s) so you can learn how to live well with kidney disease and why planning ahead can lead to the best decisions.
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      If you’re a home hemodialysis care partner, you’ll train together with your loved one

      Over the course of 4 to 8 weeks, you’ll learn all aspects of performing a dialysis treatment with the home treatment team. The great news is that it will eventually become a regular routine you’ll find relatively easy to do. 

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      Get into the routine

      Whether the person you care for is doing at-home hemodialysis during the day or throughout the night, it helps to have a fairly routine schedule. And, make sure they stay on the machine for the entire treatment. Missing just a few minutes can make dialysis less effective and seriously impact your loved one’s health.
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      Find the right space

      At-home hemodialysis treatment requires a dry storage space for the dialysate as well as the machine. Along with the home treatment team, you and the person you care for should decide the best location for both storage and the treatment itself. And you’ll need to make sure there are enough supplies (about a week’s worth) available in case of an emergency. If the power goes out, you’ll need to make other plans.
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      Eat well, be well

      One advantage of more frequent or nocturnal (nighttime) hemodialysis is that the person you care for may be able to eat more of what they like—within reason. Work with their renal dietitian to come up with a meal plan that’s as satisfying and tasty as it is kind to their kidneys. Get helpful tips on eating well.
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      Get outside

      Go for a walk outdoors with the person you care for as often as possible. It will be good for both of you. And try to encourage them to stick with their work and hobbies, even if they’re feeling down. Studies show that people on dialysis do better when they stay engaged with the world around them.
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      Keep track of their symptoms

      Flu-like symptoms, such as feeling tired or weak and having chills, are common for people on dialysis. You may notice they sleep more or are more forgetful. These symptoms are most often due to anemia—a shortage of red blood cells—and can be treated. Be sure to keep the nephrologist and treatment team informed about how the person you care for is doing.
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      Keep important information with you

      You want to be sure that you have your loved one’s medical information written down, including all medications and the names of their doctors. Keep it with you at all times so you can be prepared for an emergency—before there’s an actual emergency.
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      Give yourself a break

      As a care partner, it’s vital that you continue to take time to do some of the things you enjoy on your own. Finding healthy ways to relieve the stress, such as yoga or walking, can do a surprising amount of good for your energy and mood. As always, check with your doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
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      STARTING DIALYSIS? TAKE A FREE CLASS

      Learn how to feel your best and thrive on dialysis. Choose the class format that fits your life—educator-led or self-guided.
      Sign Up now


      Maintain a dialysis schedule

      SUPPORT THE DIALYSIS SCHEDULE

      Missing even a few minutes of dialysis a few times a month can severely impact the person you care for, including life expectancy. Helping your loved one stay on schedule and get full treatments can help your loved one live longer and feel better.

      YOU’VE GOT SUPPORT

      Your home treatment team is just a phone call away 24/7 and ready to help with whatever you need. 

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