Domesticating dialysis: A feminist political economy analysis of informal renal care in rural British Columbia

Drawing from a case study in rural British Columbia, this article examines the experiences of individuals providing unpaid care for family members on hemodialysis and how these experiences fit within larger political and socio-economic policy contexts. We suggest that the current shift towards home-based renal care, the "domestication of dialysis," reflects a broader trend toward a reduction of public health services, assumptions about the feasibility of unpaid care work in rural settings, and an increasing reliance on individuals-rather than the state-to support dependency and produce healthy citizens. This article confirms the challenges that come with providing daily care to a family member with a chronic disease and the gendered nature of unpaid care work. It also extends discussions of unpaid care to include how these challenges can be applied to renal care and complicated by rural residence.