HBDHB celebrates opening of dialysis training unit

October 21. 2009

HBDHB celebrates opening of new dialysis training unit

Today (October 21) Hawke’s Bay District Health Board celebrates the opening of a new home haemodialysis training unit and supported self care renal service at Ballantyne House. (a refurbished cottage on Hawke’s Bay Hospital grounds)

Renal clinical nurse manager Janine Palmer said the opening of Ballantyne House was significant for Hawke’s Bay which had more than 90 people with renal failure on a dialysis programme, a further 54 people who will need to start dialysis within the next two years and 64 people who had had a renal transplant.

The training unit will give more patients the opportunity to train and learn how to use dialysis at home from a supported environment.

The service boasts a new water filter unit that gives patients’ very high quality dialysis along with 10 new dialysis machines in a modern user friendly environment.

Mrs Palmer said all needs were catered for at Ballantyne House from those that needed more support to those that were nearly at the point where they could treat themselves at home.

“Dialysis takes a minimum of five hours so it has a huge impact on how people live – by being able to use the machine at home, where they are supported with 24 hour on call nursing and technical support, the treatment can fit in with them rather than patients having to fit into a hospital roster.

“Patients treating themselves at home are highly motivated and do well and can maintain a more normal family life - our focus is on self care in every aspect,” she says.

Hawke’s Bay has experienced the third largest intake of patients on a dialysis programme in the country and demand was continually growing – since January the service had seen nearly a 50 percent increase in patients and this demand was only expected to grow, Mrs Palmer explains.

Ballantyne House would be intrinsically important to a significant proportion of Hawke’s Bay people but more importantly it offered hope to patients with renal failure that they could lead a more normal life, she said.

There will be an open day at the house until 5.30pm today (October 21) and patients will begin to use the unit from Tuesday October 27.

ENDS

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