Home Haemodialysis (HHD) in Ayrshire and Arran Information for you Home dialysis is growing in popularity due to the flexibility and benefits it brings to patients lives. Patients interested in home dialysis should talk to their healthcare teams today about getting started. Follow us on Twitter @NHSaaa Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nhsaaa Visit our website: www.nhsaaa.net All our publications are available in other formats
Home haemodialysis is available to patients in Ayrshire and Arran and there is evidence showing the benefits of patients managing their own haemodialysis at home (rather than being restricted to the three times a week, in-centre dialysis). Ayrshire and Arran has a teaching programme which normally lasts six to eight weeks. It will take you through the whole process and with our support, we will make sure you are happy and confident to dialyse in your own home. We know that everyone learns at different rates and we will teach you in a way that suits you. Travelling to the hospital, waiting to have my treatment, the feelings after dialysis-the tiredness and the impact on my partner, made me think that there must be an alternative. I asked about having my treatment at home and the nurses helped me start my journey to home dialysis. Marjorie Advantages of home haemodialysis Your treatment can be scheduled for whenever it suits you. At home you can have short daily haemodialysis and this has been shown to improve quality of life, improve blood pressure control, reduce the strain on your heart and may help you live longer. 2
No travelling to the hospital. Patients who choose home dialysis often learn more about their disease because they are more directly involved in their treatments. This newly-gained knowledge and control over your health condition often leads to less fear and depression and a more positive outlook on the future. It was great not having to travel to the hospital. I am established on home HD and dialyse six times a week for three and a half hours. I dialyse in the evening while I m having my dinner and watching the news. My family are home at that time so I have company. It is important to me to be in control of my dialysis. Alan Considerations for home haemodialysis You will need a room or space to dialyse. You will need storage to stock equipment. Patients perform treatments around their own schedules. A home training nurse will guide you and your care partner. A permanent vascular access will be created by minor surgery. 3
If your access is an arteriovenous (AV) fistula, it can take a while to develop (several weeks to a few months). HHD training with a home dialysis training nurse usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. Training will only stop when you re ready and confident to do your own treatment. What will we teach you? How to set up the machine for dialysis How to start dialysis How to stop dialysis Inserting needles into your fistula or connecting to a permanent catheter How to calculate how much fluid you need to remove Problem solving when you are on the machine How to manage your stock at home, ordering and stock rotation It took about 8 weeks to learn how the machine worked, and all the things I needed to know so I was ready to have my first session at home. I had the support of the home dialysis nurse every step of the way, and she was also there for me once I got home. Marjorie 4
Nursing support Your home haemodialysis nurses will support you at home. They will visit you at each dialysis session in your first week at home. We will then agree how often we will visit you after this. Medical support After you go home, you will get a follow up appointment with your renal consultant. Reviews are usually one month after you go home and then every three months. It is important that your blood is checked on a monthly basis to make sure that your dialysis is working properly. Your home haemodialysis nurse will arrange this for you. Technical support You can call for technical support 24-hours a day. Usually, machines that break down out-of-hours do not need to be fixed until the following day. You will need specific information about your home dialysis, but we will give you this during your training. 5
Contact telephone numbers Home Haemodialysis Nurse Maire Henry - 01563 825209, Mobile 07833095270 Pre Dialysis Charge Nurse Laurie Kirkland 01563 825221 Renal Unit Charge Nurse Fiona McFadyen 01563 827492 Vascular Access Nurse Louise Power 01563 825133 Renal Ward 2F Charge Nurse Susan Thomson 01563 827918 Renal Secretary 01563 827491 6
Your notes 7
All of our publications are available in different languages, larger print, braille (English only), audio tape or another format of your choice. Tha gach sgrìobhainn againn rim faotainn ann an diofar chànanan, clò nas motha, Braille (Beurla a-mhàin), teip claistinn no riochd eile a tha sibh airson a thaghadh. 0800 169 1441 Tell us what you think... If you would like to comment on any issues raised by this document, please complete this form and return it to: Communications Department, 28 Lister Street, University Hospital Crosshouse, Crosshouse KA2 0BB. You can also email us at: comms@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk. If you provide your contact details, we will acknowledge your comments and pass them to the appropriate departments for a response. Name Address Comment Last reviewed: October 2016 Leaflet reference: REN09-001-GD PIL code: PIL16-0201