Care Partner for Home Dialysis

While taking classes with your dialysis partner, you will learn the tasks needed for each treatment. Before your family member or partner starts home dialysis, plan who will do each task, which may change over time.

It is best if the person on dialysis does as many of the tasks as they can, but here are some tasks they may need help with:

• Find and set up a space for treatment
• Order, organize and store dialysis supplies
• Shop for groceries
• Cook healthy meals and snacks
• Exercise

Your dialysis partner will need a home treatment space where they will do their treatments. This will be an area or room that is pet-free during dialysis. You can help them set up this space, for example:

• Clear or declutter to make space
• Rearrange furniture, such as moving a chair or tables to their treatment space
• Add brighter bulbs or more lamps for better lighting
• Make sure the space is comfortable

They will also need space to store a month worth of dialysis supplies at a time (maybe less for apartments or mobile homes). You can help them:

• Clean or declutter another area, a closet, or shelves to make storage space
• Stack supply boxes
• Remove supplies from boxes to store in baskets, drawers, or shelves (do not remove supplies from any sterile, sealed packaging)

Dialysis treatments can come with side effects and possible health problems. Here are some common problems and how you can help.

General discomfort 

This is a common side effect during treatments. You can:

• Bring them blankets, comfortable clothing, or other comfortable items
• Move them to a different chair or couch for treatments

Itchy skin

Itchy skin may be caused by:

• Dry skin
• High phosphorous levels
• Not getting enough dialysis
• Allergies

To help, you can:

• Recommend they use fragrance-free or hypoallergenic skin products and laundry detergents
• Start a warm (not hot) bath/ shower for them
• Remind them to take any prescribed phosphate binders
• Remind them to do all their dialysis treatments and reschedule any they miss
• Set up a humidifier if room air is dry

Low blood pressure

Signs of low blood pressure might be:

• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Dizziness

To help, you can:

• Remind them to not eat during treatments. Eating during treatments can cause low blood pressure.
• Help them track the fluids they drink between treatments. If a treatment removes too much fluid, it can cause low blood pressure.
• Tell their care team about all the medicines they take, as some medicines can cause low blood pressure.

An infection at the access site

The access site is:

• Where they connect to the dialysis machine, if they do hemodialysis
• The catheter (tube) in their belly, if they do peritoneal dialysis

Signs of an infection might be:

• Redness, drainage, pus, pain, swelling, or warmth at the access site
• A fever

To help prevent this, you can:

• Help them keep their access site clean and dry
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before helping with treatments, or moving or touching items in their treatment space
• Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when the access needle or catheter is open

Fluid overload (Hypervolemia)

Fluid overload is when someone has too much fluid in their body. It can be a serious health problem that can lead to high blood pressure, heart problems, and may even require a hospital stay.

Signs of fluid overload are:

• Rapid weight gain
• Swelling
• Shortness of breath
• Coughing

To prevent this, you can help:

• Measure and track their fluid intake to help them stay within the recommended fluid levels.
• Record their weight and note any rapid weight gain, as this can be caused by fluid buildup.
• Remind them to do all their dialysis treatments and reschedule any they miss.

Contact your dialysis partner’s care team right away if they:

• Feel unwell, have a fever, stomach pain, or trouble breathing
• Have issues with or notices changes to their access site
• Have problems with the dialysis machine or supplies
• Have changed prescription or over-the-counter medicines
• Miss or can’t complete a treatment
• Are hospitalized for any reason

• How long will it take to learn what I need to know about home dialysis?
• Who should I contact with questions about supplies or equipment problems?
• How can I connect with other people who are home dialysis caregivers/ care partners?