What is Shared Care?

When you have a long term condition like kidney disease, you will often experience many changes to your life and feel a loss of control.

Shared Care is about you, as a patient, doing as little or as much of your dialysis treatment that you want to do for yourself whilst being fully supported by the nursing staff.

You may want to do some of the following tasks that are involved in your care each time you attend your dialysis unit:- 

 

     Measure your weight, blood pressure and pulse
     Wash your arm and prepare your pack
     Prepare your machine
     Put in and take out your needles
     Start or finish your dialysis.

 

By doing one or two tasks leading up to being independent with your treatment can often give you confidence and make you feel more in control of your treatment.

If you would be interested in 'shared care', please contact one of the nurses in your Renal Unit.  You will be given full support and training to a level you feel comfortable with.  If you feel 'shared care' is not something you could do, don't worry as a nurse will continue to carry out your treatment.