How Home Health Care Helped My Mom

3 Care Options For Single Dialysis Patients

by Stanley Pierce

If your kidney disease has progressed to the point where you now require regular dialysis treatments three times each week, then it is important for your future health that you live in the most healthy situation as possible. While some people on dialysis are able to continue to live alone, others require a different living situation because their medical treatment and illness leaves them unable to live safely alone at home.

As someone struggling with this issue, you will be pleased to learn that you have three options to ensure that you are safe in your own home between dialysis treatments:

  • living at home alone

  • living at home with home health assistance

  • living in an assisted living apartment

Here is some information about each of these three options to help you decide which option is the best for your unique situation:

Living at Home Alone

Since you are just starting to receive dialysis, you very well may be safe living alone in your own home. If you have transportation to your appointments and are able to care for yourself at home without regular assistance from others, then you should live at home for as long as you are comfortable doing so.

Living at Home with Home Health Assistance

If your kidney disease progresses further and you find that you are often in need of emergency medical care or help around your home, then living at home with the help of a home health aide is a solid option. For example, if you are very tired and unable to function on the evenings of your treatment days, then you can have a health aide come to your home just during those days to assist you.

Living in an Assisted Living Apartment

If your dialysis treatments make you feel nauseated and not safe to be at home alone, then an assisted living apartment might be just the answer you seek. In an assisted living community, you can live independently in your own apartment, but you also have on-site access to nursing personnel via a call bell in your apartment.

When you move into an assisted living apartment you bring with you all of your own furnishings and are largely free to decorate and come and go as you wish. Assisted living communities often have a lot of activities that you can join in on if you wish, and some offer communal meals that you can choose to attend.

Conclusion

As you can see, living independently while on dialysis is possible, but it is not always the safest idea. By taking the time to consider your options and seek advice from your medical providers, you can feel safe and secure in your future decisions about your living situation. Contact a business, such as Independent Life, for more information.   

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