irish Kidney Association

The Irish Kidney Association is a charitable voluntary organisation founded in 1978.We are dedicated to meeting the needs of renal patients and their families and carers, living with and affected by end stage renal disease.To this effect we identify their needs and initiate action to establish services to satisfy these needs from our resources complementing and integrating with the mainstream health and education service available from the public authorities. These needs are spread across all aspects of life – medical, social and psychological.We provide services both directly and act as a conduit for accessing services. The profile of the kidney patient ranges from infanthood to the elderly who are undergoing various methods of treatment – haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis (both CAPD and APD) and kidney transplantation.

The focus of a holistic approach to the treatment of the individual directs us to a service encompassing the first treatment stage of early diagnosis combined with proper advice, education and a developed care plan.This approach will enhance the well-being of the patient, their family and carers. Many renal patients under the existing approaches and services, are falling into the dependency area.An emphasis, at this stage, on comprehensive education, training and advice will maintain the individual for longer periods with normal renal function.The resultant financial independence, for longer periods, will lead to providing health and social gain. It is also cost effective to the health and welfare systems. Kidney disease affects all age groups, both men and women.The reality of kidney disease is that it may impinge on many strands of a person's life including: health, employment, education, social life and relationships, physical fitness and general well-being.

The progression of this disease means that the patient requires a lifetime of treatment: regular out-patient monitoring, on-going medication, surgery for dialysis access, dialysis, transplantation, failed transplant, re-dialysis, re-transplantation, and so on often developing additional health problems such as hypertension, bone disease, restricted mobility, cardiac complications, etc.

The prescribed course of the individual’s treatments affects: their working life, their home and family life and often results in unemployment and loss of meaningful identity.

The net effect for a family may be that they rely on disability benefit and related welfare.The additional costs of ongoing medication and care places considerable strain on the individual and their families budget. Employment opportunities are restricted, normal life events such as securing a mortgage and life assurance are generally not available, but, if secured, they will incur considerable financial penalties. A simple event such as booking a holiday with family and friends will be restricted by the limited availability of holiday centres with dialysis facilities.While the patient is regularly away from home, receiving medical treatment for extended periods of time, the burden of the function of the sole carer and provider of a most stressed family unit falls on the spouse and carers.

The foregoing is the background which motivates our Association to ease the burden and trauma of the patient and family affected by end stage renal disease.The priority of the association is to ensure that the unmet needs of the renal patient and family are addressed by the statutory health and education system either directly from the mainstream or via an association like ourselves.Within our resources, derived from voluntary donations and fundraising, we attempt to contribute to fulfilling these needs directly to the patient and family. In the initial and interim period we implement the particular service until it is either publicly funded through us, or is integrated into an existing mainstream health, education or training service delivery area.

Please visit http://www.ika.ie/ for more information.