Home dialysis - 72 year old - please help...

[jaabaar]

Hi

I had earlier started a threat abt heartfailure regarding my uncle.

Now the greatest problem he has is kidney failure. He will need dialysis.
He has till Tuesday to decide which method to use.

The hospital based dialysis is not very convenient as he lives in a village over 2 hours away. Doctors have advised on home analysis.

I'm very worried as he is 72 and lives with my mum who is 76 and my other uncle who is 80. They live in Switzerland.

Does anyone have experience with home dialysis? He would have to do it 4 times a day.

He needs to take a decision by next Monday. Please if anyone has any advise to give which would help him take the right decision.

Thank you x

[jaabaar]

Please anyone as he has to decide by Tuesday...
Thank you xx

[Elibean]

I'm sorry I can't help, but please try posting in the General Health section - you may get more replies as the threads move faster!

Good luck, it sounds worrying and hard - my own uncle is very ill with advanced prostate cancer, and lives alone in the countryside (refusing live-in help or many visitors). It's hard being a long way away. xx

[Imnotaslimjim]

I have a friend that home dialyses and she does very well on it. 4 times a day seems rather a lot though - she does 3 hours 3 times a week, though I suspect there is different methods

Would he have someone coming to him to help? Or will they expect him to get on with it. I can imagine at his age it would be difficult to learn something new

Do you think he'll cope with doing it at home? I could imagine it would be very inconvenient for him having to go to hospital every day

[crazy8]

My dad had home dialysis. It's called CAPD. Its done via a line into your abdomen into the peritoneal cavity. He had lessons form the hospital and they don't let you do it until they are thoroughly sure you can manage. Hygiene is paramount. He was able to live quite a normal,life. It only takes 30-45 mins and you can do it while you're having breakfast, reading the paper or watching tv.

[domesticslattern]

Sorry to hear your uncle is unwell.
The British Kidney Patient Association has some factsheets about dialysis that we found useful. I imagine travelling 4 hours a day to hospital several times a week for the rest of his life is simply not an option, so am not surprised home dialysis is being recommended. There is also a factsheet on refusing dialysis.