Home haemodialysis
Information for patients and carers
Having dialysis at home has a clear advantage, as you can have your dialysis treatments on days and at a time most convenient to you. You will also be able to have more treatments each week.
What are the main benefits to dialysing at home?
Improved quality of life and wellbeing.
Improved overall health.
Greater flexibility of treatments. You can decide when and how many treatments to have.
Less time spent travelling to and from hospital and waiting for treatments.
As your blood levels further stabilise, you may be able to reduce / review your medications.
More freedom with fluid and diet allowances.
Can anyone use dialysis at home?
No. Dialysis at home is not appropriate for all patients. The following are some things you and your healthcare team will need to consider before making any decisions.
You need to be well motivated and committed to carrying out your own treatments.
You need to be well when on dialysis.
You must have no other disease or complication that might make home haemodialysis unsafe or unsuitable. A home dialysis nurse will assess you.
You must have a good working fistula or graft, or in some cases a tunnelled dialysis line.
You must have one or more carers who has made an independent and informed decision to take on joint responsibility for your treatment. If you do not have a carer to share this responsibility with, you may be able to safely dialyse on your own, with advanced skills training. This is assessed on an individual basis.
You must have suitable space and facilities in your home, or an area that could be adapted.
You must be able to show a responsibility of care to yourself and to others. This means you are able to make safe responsible decisions about all aspects of your care and your carer’s needs.
How often can I have dialysis at home?
Most patients have dialysis at home four to six times a week, and report feeling very well.
The more often you have dialysis, the shorter the sessions need to be. This is due to reduced build-up of toxins in your blood stream.
Is my home adequate for dialysis?
We will need to check your home to make sure you have adequate water pressure, space, and drainage. The ideal area for the machine would be next to the bathroom or kitchen, but we will discuss this with you.
If you rent your home, we will need to contact your landlord. We will need their permission to use the dialysis equipment in their property. Each home will need alterations, but these are quite basic. They involve:
accessing your main drain and water supply
installing electrical sockets specific for dialysis
Who will show me what to do?
The training is mainly provided at Kent and Canterbury Hospital.
The training schedule and location can be flexible. We will discuss this with you in more detail nearer the time.
How long does the training take?
Most people can start to get involved in their care when attending their Dialysis Unit, this is called shared care. Please speak to the unit nurses about this.
How long the training takes will vary, as everyone learns differently. Most people develop their skills and knowledge within a few weeks. They gradually carry out dialysis on their own within six to eight weeks.
How often are my dialysis supplies delivered?
Your supplies are delivered monthly, directly to your home.
How is my equipment maintained?
Renal technicians will service the dialysis machine regularly. These staff provide an on-call service. A technician will come to your home if your machine stops working.
Do I pay for my treatment?
No. The hospital will:
pay the installation costs
reimburse the costs of using electricity for your dialysis treatments
If you are on a water meter, you may be able to claim the water used for dialysis-reimbursement through the national scheme WaterSure. For more information and to see if you are eligible, please visit the Citizen’s Advice web site.
Can I use dialysis overnight?
Overnight home haemodialysis is available once you have been stable at home for at least three months. This gives an added benefit, as your daytimes are free again.
We will monitor patient safety at home. However, you will need to come back to the unit / hospital-based dialysis if any of the following happens.
You become unwell. Home dialysis will need to temporarily stop until you are fit to start again.
Your long-term health changes / deteriorates (gets worse), and you are no longer safe to continue dialysis at home.
Your home or personal circumstances change.
You no longer wish to continue on home dialysis.
In these cases, further support and discussion will be given. You may need unit-based dialysis, in either the short- or long-term.
Please be aware that the unit dialysis given will depend on your health needs and the days and times available. These may not fit in with your normal schedule at home.
Can I have dialysis at home if I am having a kidney transplant?
If your renal consultant has discussed with you the option of having a kidney transplant from a family or friend, going onto home haemodialysis may still be possible. We can discuss this with you in more detail if you want.
Further information
The following websites have further information and videos, which you may find helpful when making your decision.
[Web sites last accessed 1 October 2026]
Our patients / carers who are already using dialysis at home, would be happy to discuss their experiences with you. Please ask your home dialysis nurse for more information. There is a departmental support group, and they hold meetings throughout the year.
What if I have questions or concerns?
If you have any questions about home dialysis, please speak to your dialysis unit or one of the home dialysis nurses on 01227 783025.
Ask 3 Questions
There may be choices to make about your healthcare. Before making any decisions, make sure you get the answers to these three questions:
What are my choices?
What is good and bad about each choice?
How do I get support to help me make a decision that is right for me?
Your healthcare team needs you to tell them what is important to you. It’s all about shared decision making.
What do you think of this leaflet?
We welcome feedback, whether positive or negative, as it helps us to improve our care and services.
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Patient Voice Team
Telephone: 01227 868605
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