How to take care of hemodialysis patients? Or Common instructions to hemodialysis patients. What to know for hemodialysis patients? 

When your kidneys are no longer healthy enough to accomplish this task, hemodialysis is used to filter wastes, salts, and liquids from your blood. Hemodialysis is a treatment for advanced renal failure that can let you live an everyday life despite your failing kidneys.

• You’ll need to stick to a tight treatment regimen if you’re on hemodialysis.
• Take your prescriptions regularly.
• Make dietary adjustments.

Hemodialysis is an enormous burden, but you don’t have to take it on by yourself. You’ll collaborate closely with your healthcare team, which will include a kidney expert and other specialists with hemodialysis experience. You may be able to conduct hemodialysis at home.

How to take care of hemodialysis patients:

Duties of nurses:

• examining the patients’ vital signs and conversing with them to determine their condition
• Patients are educated about their condition and treatment options, as well as any questions they may have.
• Managing the dialysis therapy from beginning to end ensures that patients receive the drugs their nephrologists have prescribed.
• assessing the patients’ reactions to dialysis and medicines
• monitoring test results, home medicines, and activities, and informing nephrologists of any changes in their patient’s health
• supporting the whole care team in providing excellent treatment in a caring, polite way by assisting patients with follow-up with their transplant facility

What do PD nurses and home hemodialysis nurses do?

Some dialysis patients choose hemodialysis at home rather than hemodialysis in a facility. Nephrology nurses also plan, organize, and manage the care of these patients. While hemodialysis nurses have many tasks as in-center hemodialysis nurses, there are significant distinctions.

The primary duties of the home hemodialysis nurses:

• evaluate the health of the patients
• instruct patients on how to perform peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis at home
• Consider the patients’ learning needs and deliver treatment instructions; create a training plan for each patient, and provide the patients the drugs that their physicians have prescribed.
• Assess patients’ capacity to complete dialysis treatments and take all drugs given by their nephrologists. Assist patients in keeping in touch with their transplant facility.
• Examine the patients’ lab work, home medicines, and activities, and notify the physicians if their patients’ conditions have changed.

Hemodialysis monitoring:

• Blood tests will be used to monitor patients who use hemodialysis, either at home or at a facility, to ensure that the time and kind of dialysis treatments (referred to as dialysis prescription) are ideal. According to studies, the proper dialysis prescription improves health, avoids problems, and extends life. Blood tests are performed at least once a month, and the findings of the tests may be used to modify the dialysis prescription.
• Bodyweight monitoring – Because failing kidneys cannot remove enough fluid from the body, dialysis is required. Between hemodialysis sessions, fluid can build up and cause problems. Before and after dialysis, most patients will be weighed, and they will be requested to regularly keep track of their weight at home. Contact your health care provider if your weight rises faster than average between treatments.

Taking care of the access: To avoid problems, it is essential to take care of your access. Complications can happen even if you’re careful, but they’re far less likely if you follow these guidelines:

• Every day, and always before dialysis, wash the access with soap and warm water. Scratching the area or attempting to remove scabs is not advised.
• Check the region for symptoms of infection, such as warmth and redness, regularly.
• Check for blood flow in the access daily. Over the entrance, there should be a vibration (known as a thrill). Notify your health care provider if this is missing or changed. Flow monitoring using ultrasonography is sometimes done during dialysis therapy (sound waves). During dialysis therapy, flow monitoring checks the rate of blood flow.
• Wear loose clothing or jewelry, don’t carry heavy objects, and don’t sleep on the arm where the access is placed to prevent distressing. Allow no one to draw blood or take a blood pressure reading on this arm.
• Rotate the needle access locations. When the needle is withdrawn, use moderate pressure to halt the bleeding. If bleeding develops later, apply mild pressure; if bleeding does not cease within 30 minutes or is severe, contact a healthcare professional.

Tips for taking care of Someone on Dialysis

1. Do your research

There are several dialysis alternatives and choices based on various circumstances, such as where you live and whether you have adequate space in your house for associated equipment and supplies. Taking an active part in learning the many treatment choices and selecting the best suits the patient’s specific needs promotes the most significant possible outcomes.

2. Keep a journal

Hearing information is not the same as taking it in. Write down as much information as you can during training sessions, meetings with the healthcare team, and other occasions where a lot of information is being shared. If you need to refer to these notes later, they will come in helpful.

3. Pose a question

Asking questions can help you make sense of the material, which can be both perplexing and overwhelming. Between visits, jot down any queries that come up. It guarantees that you cover everything the next time you visit a nephrologist, nurse, social worker, nutritionist, or any healthcare team member.

4. Create a Timetable

Managing dialysis appointments might interrupt daily life at first, but the sooner you modify your calendar. 

5. Know of their limitations

Keep other activities to a minimum on dialysis days since patients may be fatigued after the treatment. Many patients are so exhausted after treatments that they cannot drive, so they plan on moving or arranging for other transportation. (Keep in mind, though, that being active helps individuals on dialysis have better results, so talk to your nephrologist about starting an exercise regimen.)

Be aware that dialysis patients may have flu-like symptoms, as well as drowsiness and cognitive problems. Anemia might be the source of these symptoms, so report any new ones to the treatment team.

6. Recognize Your Limits

Caring for someone who is on dialysis may be physically and emotionally draining. Make sure that your requirements are met throughout the route. For some, it may be as easy as going for a stroll, having lunch with friends, or devoting time to a favorite activity. Look into respite care alternatives in your region if you require a more extended break.

7. Be upbeat and positive.

Kidney illness is not a death sentence, even if it may feel that way to those who have it. A good caregiver attitude can assist patients in overcoming sorrow and despair and maintaining a positive outlook. It’s a worthy endeavor: research is increasingly demonstrating that patient perspectives are closely related to recreational activity. Sometimes the most OK show of compassion and support is just asking the patient how they feel and assisting.