Kidney Kids Scotland Family Weekend
This weekend is open to families from all over Scotland. Places are limited and will be offered on a first come first serve basis.
The weekend aims to provide
* a chance for the whole family to spend some quality time together
* an opportunity for parents/carers to find out more about their child's illness and ask questions in relaxed surroundings
* meet other families who understand
For more information and an application form please phone 01324 555843
Current Projects List October 2008
The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow is the centre is excellence for Scottish children with renal disease and the only hospital in Scotland to perform transplantation and Haemodialysis.
Kidney Kids Scotland is currently very involved with the Scottish Paediatric Renal Urology Network (SPRUN) helping standardise local child renal care throughout Scotland.
If you require any further information about any of the projects listed please feel free to contact us (01324) 555843
Haemodiafiltration Machine Yorkhill, Glasgow Cost £16,600
We have been asked by the renal unit at The Royal Hospital for Sick Children Yorkhill, Glasgow to provide them with a new state of the art haemodiafiltration machine. Yorkhill is the only hospital in Scotland were children in need of haemodialysis can be treated.
Children need dialysis because they suffer from kidney (renal) failure. Their kidneys have stopped – or almost stopped working. The kidneys are the body’s filter system, preserving the fluid and chemicals which are needed and getting rid of what is not required. Kidney failure left untreated, is fatal, but modern medicine has provided us with a life saving therapy – dialysis.
Dialysis does the job that is normally performed by the kidneys, that is, it removes waste products from the blood and excess water from the body. This procedure enables the child and their family to carry on as normal a life as possible. The dialysis does not cure the kidney failure. There are only two alternatives to kidney dialysis : death and transplantation.
Haemodialysis works by passing blood from the body to an artificial kidney machine. Waste products in the blood are filtered through the machine which contains many layers of special membrane, then returns to the child. Each dialysis session lasts around four hours. This procedure can take place up to three times per week.
As during haemodialysis there has to be access to the child’s blood stream this procedure must take place at Yorkhill Hospital with specifically trained medical staff in attendance
Weekend focused on renal patients and their families. OCT 2010 Cost £22,500
Kidney Kids Scotland held a Family Weekend at Dunblane Hydro in October 2009. Twenty six families from all over Scotland attended and thoroughly enjoyed this weekend(see Family support"). Following this success it was decided that this very valuable event should be repeated this year.One of Kidney Kids main challenges is to ensure that no matter where a child lives whether it is Glasgow or the Highlands they receive the same treatment. At present we find that any child living near one of the main centre, Glasgow, Edinburgh or Aberdeen has a very good support network. Children in the outlying areas do not receive the support we believe they are entitled to as they are not aware of the many services available to them. The charity has also been involved in setting up family networks. Being able to communicate with someone who is going through the same or has been in the same situation can be a tremendous support for both parents and children.
This weekend has several objectives:-
- Make families aware of the support available to them in their area by holding workshops from representatives from services such as Dieticians, Psychologist, Consultants and Kidney Kids Scotland.
- Encourage family groups and support networks to form.
- A chance for these families to spend a family weekend together. Quality family time often becomes forgotten when having to care for a sick child.
This weekend is open to families from all over Scotland. We are planning to incorporate the workshops with fun, but educational entertainment for the children. The adults are then given a chance to make as much of the opportunity as possible and hopefully go home more knowledgeable and confident.
Designated Paediatric Continence Advisor for paediatric renal patients and their families in the Borders.
Cost £16,000 per annum (part time) Outstanding £6,000
An integrated community based Paediatric Continence service will ensure that a high quality of assessment and treatment is provided to children and their parents/carers in the Borders. The paediatric service in this area at present is way below the recommended standard, leading to many unnecessary problems. The benefits of this nurse would be as follows:-
Earlier intervention and higher success rates.
Reduction in inappropriate referrals to secondary care.
Increased awareness of Children’s Continence issues.
Appropriate treatment and assessment.
Increased knowledge and skills – health, education etc.
3rd Year Funding
The Royal Hospital for sick children Ninewells Hospital DUNDEE and FIFE
2 x Part-Time Dieticians Cost £7,000 each total = £14,000 (Per Annum)
Kidney Kids were asked to fund part-time dieticians in Aberdeen for Aberdeen/Grampian area, Dundee to cover Dundee/Tayside and Fife area for a third year. These positions have proven very successful and the families like the continuity of seeing the same dietician and knowing a dietician can be contacted for advice when needed. These dieticians are dedicated to attend children with renal illness.
PROBLEM
The kidneys are responsible for many functions in the body. They help control the body’s fluid and mineral balance and also help remove waste products. When the kidneys are not functioning properly these waste products can build up in the body making the child feel sick. This can cause the child to have poor appetite, which can contribute to poor growth and development.
WITH YOUR HELP
These renal dieticians work with children suffering from renal failure encouraging adequate intake of potassium, sodium, phosphorus and fluid as needed. Every child is different and so it is our aim that these children should be given individual attention, tailored to their particular needs.
PORTABLE BLADDER SCANNERS - Aberdeen COST £7.900
Kidney Kid Scotland’s are supplying portable bladder scanners all over the country. One of the Charity’s main aims is to greatly reduce the amount of children having to go through the trauma of being catheterised. The scan performed is a very simple pain free process which can be made into a game for the children. These bladder scanners assess how well each child is able to empty his/her bladder both before and after bladder training sessions, thus hopefully preventing these children from possibly suffering from further infections. Prevention being better than cure. These
scanners also prevent the children and their families having to make the arduous journey to and from one of the main centre hospitals thus enabling a nurse specialist whom the children already know and trust to scan these children during their clinic visit in an area they are familiar with.
The price difference very much depends on the specification of the scanner required for each area.
