A Guide to Taking Care of a Dialysis Patient at Home

Getting a dialysis treatment can be quite overwhelming, not only for the patient but also the caregiver, especially considering the fact that this process takes several hours each day, and the patient has to endure painful needle insertion, fluid loss, and more in order to do it effectively. This strenuous process can take a toll on the patient’s physical and emotional well-being, which is why it becomes crucial for the caregiver to step up and take charge of things.

If you’re taking care of someone with ongoing dialysis treatment, here are a few things you can incorporate into your care giving routine to facilitate their recovery.

Knowledge is Key

If you have taken up a proactive role in caring for your patient who is undergoing dialysis treatment, stay in constant touch with their doctors and specialists so you can learn more about what they need and how you can care for them better.

To ensure effective care giving, you should have a working knowledge of the overall medical condition and other aspects, such as if there are any critical signs or possible warnings to notice, how the person had responded in the past when the condition worsened, any treatments that have been effective, what hasn't worked well, or what treatments can help.

Help Them Stay Active

In general, people on dialysis do better when they move around and stay active. However, dialysis is a form of sedentary treatment, and it's not uncommon for patients to feel lethargic. It's important that you encourage them to move around as much as possible. If they're going to be doing more sitting, ask them to do some low-impact exercises on their own - like walking up and down stairs or doing leg raises. Make sure there is at least one chair in every room in your house that can be used for reading or watching TV; try setting reminders on their phone, so they can make sure they don't spend too much time resting.

Encourage Healthy Eating

As a kidney patient, your diet is key. Kidney patients usually have trouble keeping sodium low and potassium high in their bodies. Eating right can be difficult when you're trying to manage a busy life, but it's important to stay healthy. You can help them stay healthy by giving them a kidney-friendly meal plan that keeps sodium in check and makes sure they're eating enough calories for energy.

Assist Them in Showering

While it is said that taking a shower is safe for those with a PICC line or dialysis port, most doctors recommend that you take a bath as it offers more convenience and mobility. However, if you prefer taking a shower over bathing, you need to take appropriate measures to ensure that the water does not enter the port and lead to infections.

One of the best ways to keep your catheter/dialysis sites dry is by using a port cover for the shower. Our convenient and disposable shower shield helps you reduce the risk of infection from waterborne bacteria by keeping catheter sites and wound dressings dry while showering.

We understand that taking care of someone undergoing dialysis can get overwhelming, but with the right kind of knowledge and medical supplies, you can make this process easy. In case you’re looking for a wound cover for shower, reach out to us today.

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