How Staff-Assisted Home Hemodialysis Works
Staff-assisted home hemodialysis from Elik Home Dialysis works like this: a licensed dialysis nurse comes to your home three times a week and performs every step of your treatment, setup through documentation, under your own nephrologist's orders. You never touch the machine or place a needle. Here is the entire process, step by step.
You answer the door. Your nurse does the rest.
Here is what a treatment day actually looks like, from the time your nurse arrives to the time they leave. Six steps. Your job is the same at every step: nothing.
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Your nurse arrives at your door
At the time you picked, your licensed dialysis nurse arrives at your home. No waiting room. No check-in desk. They are standing at your door.
Your job: answer the door. That is it.
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Setup happens around you
Your nurse wheels in the dialysis machine, connects the water line, and lays out every supply for the treatment. The whole setup takes about 30 minutes.
Your job: nothing. Watch TV. Stay in your chair.
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Your nurse starts your treatment
Your nurse connects you to the machine through your dialysis access: the fistula, graft, or catheter your doctor placed for treatment. Same access you have always used. Same treatment you have always had. In your own chair, in your own home.
Your job: nothing. No lifting. No learning.
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Treatment runs for 3 to 4 hours
For the next three to four hours, your nurse stays with you. They watch your blood pressure. They manage your fluid. They give any medications your doctor ordered. One nurse. One patient. The whole time.
Your job: nothing clinical. Rest. Nap. Watch TV. Talk to your family.
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Your nurse packs up
When treatment is done, your nurse disconnects you, takes down the equipment, cleans every surface, and handles all biohazard disposal. Nothing gets left behind for you or your family to deal with.
Your job: nothing. Stay seated.
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Your nurse leaves
Your nurse documents the treatment, says goodbye, and heads out. You are already home. There is nothing to drive home from.
Your job: nothing. You are done.
Here is every step of your treatment. Your only job is to be home.
Nine clinical tasks happen at every treatment. A licensed Elik dialysis nurse handles every one of them, one nurse to one patient, start to finish. The patient does nothing clinical.
| What the nurse does | What you do |
|---|---|
| Setup: brings and sets up the dialysis machine, supplies, and sterile field. | Nothing. |
| Machine operation: runs and monitors the dialysis machine for the full treatment. | Nothing. |
| Cannulation: places the needles into your access and secures them safely. | Nothing. |
| Vital monitoring: checks your blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature throughout treatment. | Nothing. |
| Fluid management: removes the amount of fluid your nephrologist's prescription calls for. | Nothing. |
| Medication administration: gives any medications ordered by your doctor during treatment. | Nothing. |
| Documentation: records every vital sign, every alarm, every step, and sends it to your doctor. | Nothing. |
| Cleanup: cleans and disinfects the machine and the work area after treatment. | Nothing. |
| Biohazard disposal: removes all used needles, tubing, and medical waste from your home. | Nothing. |
No care partner. No family member. No training. Your nurse handles every clinical step of every treatment.
This is not home dialysis you run yourself. Some home programs train patients or family members to run the machine and place the needles; that work never transfers to you or your family here. With Elik, the licensed nurse performs the treatment, at every visit, and your only job is your own chair.
It takes three steps.
That's the whole process.
Most patients start home dialysis within two weeks of insurance confirmation. No long waitlists. No paperwork maze. One phone call starts it all.
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1
Call Elik
Tell our team where you live and what insurance you carry. Elik confirms your exact plan in one phone call and gives you a clear answer.
Houston (713) 861-7500 Dallas (972) 238-7788 -
2
Home assessment visit
A nurse visits your home, picks the best treatment space, and confirms the equipment you need. A water filter installs on a standard faucet. No plumbing work. No construction.
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3
First treatment at home
On the scheduled day, your nurse arrives, sets up the machine, and begins treatment. You sit back. From that point on, a nurse comes to you three times a week.
Timeline: most patients begin home dialysis within two weeks of insurance confirmation. Urgent clinical starts can move faster.
Questions patients ask
before they start.
Short, straight answers. If you do not see yours here, call (713) 861-7500: our team is on the other end.
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How long does it take to start home dialysis?
Most patients start within two weeks of insurance confirmation. A nurse then visits your home to assess the treatment space and confirm equipment needs. Once that is complete, your first treatment is scheduled, usually the following week. Urgent clinical starts can move faster.
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What equipment is installed in my home?
A dialysis machine and a water filtration system that connects to a standard faucet. No plumbing renovation. The equipment stays in the treatment space you choose: bedroom, living room, or den. Elik supplies everything else: disposables, dialysate, and medications given during treatment. You buy nothing. Elik handles delivery, setup, and ongoing maintenance.
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What if I live alone? Is that OK?
Yes, and the model is built for it. A licensed dialysis nurse is with you for your entire treatment, typically three to four hours. You are never alone during a session. No family member, neighbor, or care partner is required. Many Elik patients in Houston and Dallas live alone, including elderly patients and those with limited mobility.
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What if a home treatment is ever missed or disrupted?
If a home treatment cannot proceed, whether from severe weather, a home emergency, or a clinical issue, Elik coordinates a backup treatment with no gap in your schedule. Your nephrologist is kept informed. Your 3x-per-week prescription is maintained. Call Elik (Houston (713) 861-7500, Dallas (972) 238-7788) or your care coordinator and the team handles the logistics.
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Does Medicare cover staff-assisted home hemodialysis?
No. Original Medicare does not pay for staff-assisted home hemodialysis, by law. Medicare Advantage plans follow Medicare's reimbursement rules, so they do not pay for it either. Elik provides staff-assisted home hemodialysis for eligible patients with BCBS, Cigna, or UnitedHealthcare/UHC commercial coverage, including when Medicare is the primary insurance. Medicare-only, Medicare Advantage (including BCBS, Cigna, or UHC Medicare Advantage plans), Medicare supplement (Medigap) plans, and Medicaid do not pay for this service through Elik. If you have Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, or UnitedHealthcare commercial insurance, on its own or as a secondary plan alongside Medicare, you qualify. Elik confirms your exact plan in one phone call: Houston (713) 861-7500, Dallas (972) 238-7788.
Your nephrologist stays in charge
Every Elik treatment runs under your own nephrologist's orders and is performed by a licensed, certified dialysis nurse: one nurse, one patient, the entire treatment. Your doctor receives documentation after every visit and directs your care exactly as before. Behind every treatment is a team with more than 80 years of combined experience in dialysis, 45 of them in staff-assisted home hemodialysis. Elik changes where your treatment happens and whose hands perform it, never who your doctor is.
No care partner in Houston · No care partner in Dallas · Elik in Houston · Elik in Dallas
See if home dialysis is right for you.
In-network commercial plans qualify. No care partner needed.
Last reviewed: September 2026