As a home dialysis patient, celebrating fall and winter holidays during a pandemic poses a unique challenge. But with a little creativity and open-mindedness, we can still make the holidays feel special.

Low-risk celebration ideas for home dialysis patients

The CDC recommends that those at increased risk of contracting COVID-19, such as chronic kidney disease patients, should not attend in-person gatherings. But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the season.

• Try hosting a virtual celebration with friends and family and share a meal over a video platform like Zoom or Google Meet.
• Have a party with those in your household.
• Start a new tradition with loved ones in your home. Watch a holiday film, make a seasonal craft, do a scavenger hunt, or try a new recipe together.
• Put up extra holiday decorations in your living space.
• Do a no-contact food drop with local family and friends. Prepare some of your favorite dishes and deliver them in a way that does not involve contact, such as leaving the items at the door and waving from a safe distance away.

Higher-risk holiday celebrations

It’s especially important for home dialysis patients to avoid large, indoor gatherings with those outside your household. Your Cincinnati Home Dialysis care team strongly urges you to weigh the risks and levels of virus transmission in your community before coming into contact with others.

If you do choose to visit family in person, set some ground rules for your attendance at the gathering. There should be 10 or fewer people at the event (fewer is better). Everyone in attendance should agree to wear a mask the entire time, practice physical distancing, and sanitize their hands regularly. All guests should also agree to avoid contact with other people for 14 days leading up to the event. If you do not feel confident that all guests will adhere to your conditions, don’t risk it and opt for a lower-risk celebration.

The harvest season is also a popular time to visit local farmers markets, pumpkin patches, and orchards. Choose a local, outdoor location to visit where masks, physical distancing, and use of hand sanitizer are strictly enforced. Farmers markers, pumpkin patches, and orchards are typically less crowded during weekdays, which make these safer days to go if you’re able.

We know this year feels different in so many ways. We’re all doing our best to stay safe and still enjoy the spirit of the seasons, albeit in different ways. From all of us at Cincinnati Home Dialysis, we hope the holidays bring joy and peace to our communities.