Notice, this video is NOT for training, the intent is to share the patient experience only!
Embracing Independence with Kidney Disease: A Candid Look Behind the Scenes During a Peritoneal Dialysis Treatment featuring Kristin Rice.
Watch as Kristin Rice of Baltimore, MD, demonstrates her own peritoneal dialysis treatment and catheter site care.
Kristin says, “Before I started on peritoneal dialysis (PD) I was terrified of it and did everything I could to avoid it. Now that I’ve been doing it for a year, I’ve come to realize that it’s really not that bad. Once I figured out how much time I needed to add to my morning and evening routines, PD fit into my schedule pretty seamlessly. I’m able to work full time, spend time with friends and family and I’ve even done some local travel.”
“Kristin, thank you for sharing your story with me. I admire your ability to adapt to your peritoneal dialysis treatment and make it work for both your family and your job. I am so glad to know you are listed on the kidney transplant list and hope you get the call soon.” –Lori Hartwell
Kristin Rice has lived with chronic kidney disease her entire life. She was able to delay dialysis treatment until last year when she started peritoneal dialysis. In this video, she shares her story while doing Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD) treatment. The goal of this video is to see first-hand what dialysis on PD looks like. Always consult with your nurse or doctor regarding training protocols.
Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD) or Automated Peritoneal Dialysis (APD) involves the use of a dialysis machine to remove waste and excess fluids from the blood because your kidneys no longer function properly. Because CCPD is performed by a machine, many patients elect to do their treatments at night while they sleep. Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) is performed manually without the assistance of a machine and requires a number of treatments throughout the day. Many experts agree that home dialysis—either peritoneal or hemodialysis—is the best option for treating kidney failure whenever possible. That’s because choosing home dialysis can mean greater scheduling flexibility, fewer food restrictions, and better outcomes.
This video is just over 30 minutes long and it will give you an idea of the patient experience and time commitment of doing a PD treatment. Kristin shows important aspects of care such as catheter site care to prevent infection. Kristin shows how to set up and connect to her machine. She demonstrates what’s she’s learned over the last year, sharing what has worked for her. A peritoneal treatment for Kristin in 7 ½ hours long and she does this every night while she sleeps. The amount of time required for treatment for each person is different based upon their prescription provided by their nephrologist.
People who require dialysis set aside a significant amount of time for home treatments and often equate it to a part time job. But it is worth it because it is a lifesaving treatment.
Recently there has been a lot of discussion and effort by the kidney community toward encouraging more people who have kidney failure to choose home dialysis. Overall, home dialysis use is only about 17.4% as of June 2022. That means that 82.6% of people on dialysis are going to a dialysis clinic for treatment.
Although some people just prefer not to do their treatments at home, others face barriers that keep them in-center. It appears that there needs to be more focus on addressing the barriers and identifying solutions.
Click here to check out RSN’s downloadable PDF Tool for Designing your Room for Home Treatment.We welcome everyone’s comments. Please use the form below to let us know your thoughts.