Dialysis Transportation Problems? Home Dialysis Can Be the Solution

Managing kidney disease is a journey—but arranging dialysis transportation doesn’t have to slow you down. Getting a ride, driving, or finding transportation three or more times per week can be time-consuming and inconvenient. And if your transportation isn’t reliable, it could even cause issues with your kidney health.¹

If traveling to and from the dialysis center is a challenge for you, consider home dialysis. Save time, cut transportation costs, and keep up with your dialysis schedule from the comfort of your own home. You and your doctor can customize a flexible home dialysis treatment plan that fits into your lifestyle.

There are many dialysis transportation options, but not everyone has access to convenient, reliable, and affordable rides. Some people drive themselves, ask friends or family to help, or use non-emergency medical transportation services. Others take public transportation to the dialysis center.

Public transportation is usually the least expensive option, but it isn’t always reliable.² Limited hours might not work with your treatment schedule, service might not run during holidays, and public transportation can be delayed without warning. If you live in a rural area or are far away from a dialysis center, it can be even more challenging to find transportation.

Dialysis transportation issues aren’t just stressful, they can impact your health. Delaying, missing, or cutting dialysis treatments short puts added stress on your body and can cause health issues.^1,2 Getting to and from the dialysis center can be complicated, so you may wish to skip the travel troubles and do dialysis at home instead.

Home dialysis gives you more control over your treatments. With your doctor’s guidance, you can customize a treatment plan that works for you. If your doctor recommends frequent dialysis treatments, you may even be able to take fewer medications, enjoy a more flexible diet, and have the energy to do more of the things you love.³ More and more people with kidney disease are discovering that home therapy is the right choice for them, so kick-start the conversation with your care team.

Having trouble with transportation? Both peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis done at home keep transportation to a minimum, giving you more time to thrive.

Home therapy fits into your life, not the other way around. With home dialysis, you won’t have to worry about driving, getting rides, or relying on public transportation getting you to your treatments on time. You can use that extra time to work, go to school, socialize, and enjoy your favorite activities.

With home treatments, your dialysis supplies can be shipped right to your door. That saves you a trip and frees up more time to do what you love.

No need to pay for non-emergency medical transport services, rides, bus fare, or gas when you’re doing your treatments at home. Thanks to a more flexible schedule, you may also be able to continue working.

While you’re doing home dialysis, you will still visit your care team to track your progress and check your health. Because these visits are usually held about once a month, you’ll have plenty of time to arrange a ride. Between visits, you can contact your care team online through PatientHub.

Once you’re comfortable with home dialysis and your treatments are going well, you may be able to attend some appointments using telehealth right from your home instead of going to the dialysis center.

Maybe you do enjoy traveling, but not back and forth to the dialysis center three or more times per week. With home dialysis, you have the freedom to visit family, friends, and enjoy social events.

In-center dialysis is a great choice for many people, but home dialysis might be a more flexible fit for your lifestyle. If you’re ready to shift gears, consider speaking to your doctor about how home dialysis can solve your transportation issues.

If you choose to do in-center dialysis and are having trouble with transportation, contact your social worker. They can help you keep up with your treatments, no matter where you dialyze.