Preparing Room for Home Dialysis

[LisaBart]

Okay, I'm not sure if this is a usual question or not...although husband is not yet on dialysis and eventually the plan is to do it at home...my office..being the warmest room will
be the "home clinic"... I was going to have new carpet laid soon, and now wonder if it is not a better idea to maybe have tiles or even vinyl laid as with possible spillages etc it would be easier cleaning.
Your thoughts and input would be welcome.

[cattlekid]

Hello Lisa,

I did home hemo for 18 months in a room with carpet.  It is Berber style and it was really old so it was not a big deal to me to have the occasional spill.  I was on NxStage and never had any issues with the hanging bags or the Pureflow leaking.  We did have the occasional few drops of blood but hydrogen peroxide works wonders.  Like I said though, our carpet was REALLY old and had already been damaged by two dogs so it wasn't like we had anything worth saving anyhow. 

If you are going to be doing home hemo long term, I would probably shy away from the carpet.  I know our local home improvement store has some nice tile that looks like wood.  Maybe that would be something good to go with.  I think the look of wood is so much more inviting than tile (at least to me) and doesn't evoke so much of a clinical feel, which is half of the reason I switched to home hemo anyhow...to get away from that clinical look and smell.

[LisaBart]

Thank you...yes I just started thinking..as you do...the rest of house is actually tiled with terracotta, the bedrooms and lounge are carpet...believe me we have a "lived in" house..not for show and also have an old dog! Was just thinking, easiest option...of maybe a good quality vinyl and can always place a big carpet mat over. Room quite near a wood heater so is quite warm. Though we generally in winter don't get below 0c on the odd occasion.

[PrimeTimer]

I would go with anything that can be mopped or wiped because carpet (new, old, stained or not) takes more effort to keep clean and you will have enough to do already! Time is precious! And since you mentioned setting up in your home office, another thing you might want to keep in mind is any heat the dialysis machine or Pureflow machine may generate. We live in a small apartment and my husband's setup is in the living room. I keep the cycler and Pureflow away from walls and furniture like the manuals say to do (for proper ventillation) but I do feel them generate a little warmth, even when not in use (I keep them plugged in). Also...keep in mind any air vents or fans. You do not want to be too close to a vent blowing directly onto your husband, especially when making blood line connections, inserting/removing needles. We have a small den area but when we went thru training at the center, which was in a room about the size of our den, I knew right away that the den would get too hot and cramped for us. Of course, I sweat indoors even when it's freezing outside during winter! 

[LisaBart]

Thankyou for this advise also. My "office" is a normal size bedroom size...I am relocating I have big sliding cupboard for supplies and window that can be opened top or bottom for airflow.
I think he will be more comfortable here than my small gym which was closed in off verandah..too cold and away from rest of family area...this room he can bang on my wall as my bedroom is next door
Hmmm not too often I hope !!

[obsidianom]

I would avoid carpet also because it is not sanitary. Medical facilities always avoid it for that reason. It tends to absorb bacteria. You really cant effectively clean carpet . Any solid surface is better. We have wood in our house.

[LisaBart]

Ill go check out my options today   Thanks