akocsis wrote:I am a clinical psychologist putting together a case for our renal department to have one or more psychologists. The aim is to look at how the care is offered and to make sure that the human and emotional side of treatments are properly considered. I'd be grateful for any thoughts about what would, or has made a difference for you, in getting through kidney disease, dialysis, transplants etc. or in caring for someone going through these things. Thank you.
Firstly, may I say that having psychologists in renal departments can only be a good thing. But there are so many ifs and buts behind your post, I am actually finding it difficult to answer.
Where is the perameter where medical intervention and psychology cross? I really don't know. So I will say what I think, and you decide whether it is appropriate for a psychologist or not.
I have to say that I found one phrase in your post rather odd for a medical professional. It is "getting through kidney disease, dialysis, transplants etc". Maybe it is ambiguous, and can be read more than one way. But the way I read it leads me to say that no-one I am aware of has ever "got through" kidney disease. I am on haemodialysis, and for me and Mrs B, it is always with us. No matter what anyone's temperament, it can never be "got through". Dialysis is VERY HARD for everyone involved.
You don't say where in the world your department is, which would help, as care differs widely depending on the location of the unit concerned. In general, the day to day care is very good in the UK. It is the peripheral issues that are lacking. I find communication to be a nightmare. Also, holiday dialysis is becoming practically non-existent in huge swathes of the UK. North Yorkshire for example. The psychological aspect of not being able to visit family and friends simply because there is no NHS dialysis unit prepared to take visitors is a huge downer. If holiday dialysis could be sorted out properly, it would help the well being of many of us I am sure.
Mrs B & I also find that professional help is useful in regards to the day to day human and emotional aspects. I am sure other kidney patients will tell you what we have experienced. We have found that some friendships/relationships we believed were solid have crumbled. We have lost people we considered close because they simply couldn't deal with the changes in our lives that dialysis brought. Conversely, people who were not close friends have been absolutely wonderful, and shown how much they are the really important people we should be grateful are in our lives. A psychologist could explain that better than I.
Those of us with kidney disease, at whatever stage, are human beings. I have started another thread today about not being told what blood tests are being taken for. We are not robots, and don't want to be treated as such.
Hope this helps a bit.