The Home HD Option
Home hemodialysis (HD) is a way to replace the function of kidneys that don’t work. HD can be done at home in one of three ways:
- Three days a week for about 4 hours (standard home HD)
- Five to six days a week for 2.5 to 4 hours (short daily HD)
- Three to six nights a week for about 8 hours (nocturnal home HD)
HD at home is flexible. You can do it on your own schedule with your loved ones around you. Someone from your clinic will do a home visit to help you get set up.
You will need a partner who can be there while you do your treatments. The VA offers support for care partners. A nurse trains you and your partner until you are confident that you know what to do. A home HD machine can be a large machine like the ones used in centers. Or, there is a small machine (about the size of a microwave oven) that was built for home use. Talk with your care team about which machine you might be able to use. And, watch the news—a number of companies are working on small, portable dialysis machines. And, you don’t need to buy the machine or your supplies. The VA will supply them for you. After training, instead of going to the clinic three times a week, you will come in once a month or so to meet with your kidney care team. The VA pays for home health care.