Penn's Home Hemodialysis Program provides comprehensive dialysis care for patients that prefer to receive dialysis treatment from the comfort of their own home. Our program has a reputation as one of the most experienced in the nation. Our academic training program is one of the the largest in the Northeast, providing leading-edge training to physicians, nurses and staff.
What is Home Hemodialysis?
Patients that choose home hemodialysis receive all the benefits of in-center treatment but have more flexibility in their schedule. Because they choose to receive their care at home, they can get back to enjoying their everyday lives. We offer several options to fit the individual needs of each patient:
- Home Short Daily Hemodialysis
- Home Nocturnal Hemodialysis
What To Expect
Home Short Daily Hemodialysis
Home short daily hemodialysis provides comprehensive dialysis care for patients in the comfort of their home during the day. Patients are trained at our Home Dialysis Training Program, located at our dialysis facility, by highly skilled nurses that specialize only in this modality. Patients find that learning to care for themselves at home is quite simple and convenient. A nurse will make a home visit initially to make sure that the home is set up properly and will make subsequent visits as needed.
Patients who choose this option:
- Receive dialysis treatment four to five days a week, for shorter periods of time per treatment.
- Experience all the benefits of in-center care with the convenience of not having to leave your home.
- Eliminate the need for travel to and from a dialysis facility.
- Feel better, because treatment is more frequent and outcomes are improved.
- Are on less medications than patients on in-center hemodialysis.
- Feel well after treatment and are able to have a productive day.
- Choose when to do their dialysis treatment, providing them the ability to have a flexible schedule.
- Come once a month to the dialysis facility to take part in a multidisciplinary clinic that includes a nurse, doctor, dietitian and a social worker. Often these visits can be done by telemedicine.
- Have access to an on-call physician and nurse 24/7.
- Have the ability to travel, as the hemodialysis machine is small and portable.
Home Nocturnal Hemodialysis
Home Nocturnal Hemodialysis provides all the benefits of home short daily dialysis care but is done at night while a patient sleeps. It is known as "the best of the best" in dialysis treatment, offering the most convenience and flexibility. This program is attractive to people who may work or prefer to have their days free.
Patients who choose this option:
- Receive dialysis treatment four to five nights a week while sleeping.
- Eliminate the need for travel to and from a dialysis facility.
- Have treatments done over a period of eight hours, which is gentler on the body compared to shorter dialysis treatments.
- Feel better because treatments are done frequently and over longer periods of time.
- Are on less medications than patients on in-center hemodialysis.
- Feel well after treatment and are able to have a productive day.
- Receive the same training, same level of support, and same monthly clinic visit offered with home short daily hemodialysis.
- Have their days free.
- Have access to an on-call physician and nurse 24/7.
- Have the ability to travel, as the hemodialysis machine is small and portable.