Complete Care For A Dialysis Patient Simplified For You sanvikhurana Follow Jan 31 · 3 min read

Kidney dialysis is a physically and emotionally tiring process. Efficient care needs to be taken to help the patient maintain his or her health.

Do you have to take care of a kidney dialysis patient? Discussed below are a few things that might help you get prepared for the care taking.

Gather proper information about your patient

Being in home health care, you should know all the medical information about your patient. Keep a list of all of their medications with you. Also, most importantly, save the contact numbers of all the doctors of your patient on your phone itself. It can prove to be very helpful in case of an emergency.

Learn as much as you can about the process of dialysis. This will help you advocate the individual at times of medical examination.

Adhere to a schedule

It is crucial to set a plan for the patient. It can help the patient as well as you to coordinate daily activities and responsibilities. Medications, meals, exercise, and everything else must be done according to the schedule only.

A schedule can also help you manage the kidney dialysis appointments. Also, blood dialysis is most effective when done on time. Thus, the patient must be taken for dialysis at least half an hour before the appointment. This will ensure that he gets his life-saving blood dialysis precisely on time.

Help them stay active

A kidney dialysis patient already has reduced body functioning and performance. Therefore, it’s mandatory for your patient to do some amount of physical exercise during the day.

Take him on a walk as often as possible. Encourage him to engage in moderate physical activities. Mild aerobic exercises and strength training sessions may help the patient boost his participation in the process of dialysis. Also, it can help increase the patient’s tolerance. Resistance exercise, on the other hand, can help improve muscle strength and size and, consequently, improve their functioning.

Control their diet

A balanced and kidney-friendly diet can protect your patient’s kidneys from further damage. The right balance of calories, proteins, vitamins, and minerals is extremely crucial for effective kidney dialysis.

Control intake of minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus and reduce their consumption as much as possible. Vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, radish, and turnips should be included in your diet. Also, onions, garlic, and red grapes, cranberries prove to very beneficial.

Mental health is vital

A kidney failure patient might be needed to go for a dialysis appointment 2,3 or even 4 days a week. This process is emotionally very exhausting. The patient might feel struggling to cope with it and gradually dive into a deep depression.

As home health care, it is crucial for you to take care of his mental health too. Try to remain positive with him. Ask him questions about how he feels. Shower them with your love and support. This way, you can help them cope with the struggle and conquer depression