Considering in-center versus home dialysis

There a number of issues to consider when deciding on a type of dialysis, including where to receive treatment. This is an important consideration that should be made between you, your family and your healthcare team. You can do hemodialysis at a dialysis center where a nurse, technician, or other member of the healthcare team performs the tasks required during treatment. In-center hemodialysis is usually done three times a week for about three to four hours or longer each session. In-center treatments are done at a pre-scheduled time. Some centers allow in-center self-dialysis – you dialyze at the center, but you're able to do many or all of the procedure yourself.

You can also do hemodialysis at home where you are the one doing your treatment. People who do home hemodialysis have more flexibility about how often it can be done. If done daily, treatment time would be 1½ to 2 hours. If you and your clinician decide this is a good choice, you and a dialysis care partner will be trained how to do hemodialysis at home. Your dialysis care partner can be a family member or friend, but may also be someone you hire to assist you.

Home hemodialysis can have some advantages over in-center dialysis. It allows you to schedule your treatments to fit your routine. You can have more independence and control of your own treatments. You can also have the comfort and privacy of being in your own home during treatment. However, home hemodialysis might not be a good fit for everyone. You need to be willing to be responsible for your own treatment. As long as you and/or your care partner can pass the training and learn to place your needles, you should be able to do home hemodialysis.