Health and Welfare for Kidney Patients

This page contains the following information (click to jump to each section):

Patient Welfare | Diet | Cookery Books | Skincare for Transplant Patients

Patient Welfare

A major function of AKPA is to help members who are going through a period of difficulty. To assist in this we fund a Welfare Officer who is available to give advice and help to patients and their families.

Renal Welfare Officer - Barbara Irving (01223 714415)

Benefits and allowances are a complex issue and are constantly changing. Our Renal Welfare Officer has extensive experience and knowledge of the social and financial difficulties that may be encountered by renal patients. The Officer is very happy to act on behalf of patients, for example by making contact with government departments.

If funding is not available elsewhere AKPA can, on the recommendation of the Renal Welfare Officer, consider various grants. These include help with heating, holidays, the cost of hospital visiting and utility bills. All requests are carefully considered in confidence and on their own merits.

For more advice and help on these and similar issues, please contact the Renal Welfare Officer.

Renal Counsellor - Geraldine Millar (01223 274544)

Kidney failure can be a traumatic experience and professional counselling is available for those who feel it would be beneficial. This can be arranged by contacting the counsellor directly or through the staff at the Dialysis Centre, Satellite Units, wards and renal clinics.

Confidentiality will be maintained whatever the route of contact.

Diet

In recent years dialysis has vastly improved and most people maintain a very good quality of life. However both forms of dialysis are less efficient than normal kidney function, so appropriate diet and fluid restrictions may be necessary.

In fact, diet is a very significant part of the treatment and management for many people with kidney problems. A patient may need to follow a special diet, or at least eat in such a way as to maintain a balanced nutrition.

The Dietitians assess each patient individually to decide on the most appropriate diet. This depends on blood results, type of treatment, urine output, the kinds of food you prefer to eat and any other dietary restrictions you may have, for example for diabetes.

Dietitians are available to advise all renal patients, If you would like to see a dietitian to discuss your diet, then please ask the nursing staff.

Cookery Books

There is a number of books available with recipes designed specifically for kidney patients. Below are details of two which are easily available to you:

Rediscovering Food & Flavours by TV chef Lawrence Keogh, himself a transplant recipient,  has been written to help patients with diet restrictions who tend to end up on narrow, dull diets. The emphasis of this book is on rediscovering food and flavours that you may think are off-limits to a person with such a restricted diet. In creating the recipes, Lawrence worked closely with a leading dietitian who offered advice and guidance on the composition of the dishes. They have created dishes that are easy to prepare and suitable for any occasion, from a light snack to a hearty dinner. They have also tried to cater for a variety of cultures and culinary tastes. You can download a copy of the book by clicking this link. (This will open a new window).

Also, The National Kidney Federation (NKF) has produced a book called Food with Thought, designed with dialysis patients in mind. It is described as "an attractive, common sense, down to earth recipe book for everyday living" and contains a selection of recipes for light bites, main courses and desserts. AKPA purchased a number of these books and distributed them among dialysis patients in late 2008. If you would like a copy, please contact a member of staff at your unit.

Skincare for Transplant Patients

Transplant patients have a higher risk of getting skin cancer because of the drugs they take to prevent rejection of their new kidney. AKPA has produced a leaflet highlighting these risks for transplant patients. You can download a copy of this leaflet in PDF format below:

AKPA Skin Cancer Leaflet

AKPA is happy to supply copies of this leaflet to clinicians and other kidney patient associations. We will supply up to 50 copies free of charge but would ask for a voluntary donation of £5 for more than 50 copies. Please send your request for copies to info@akpa.org.uk or by post to:

AKPA skincare leaflet
PO Box 608
FREEPOST RRKT-RBGX-AETR
Cambridge
CB1 OGJ

Cheques should be made payable to 'AKPA'

Further Information Online

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Sun Protective Clothing:

  NoZone

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