Unlike those who live in major cities, B.C. residents living in rural communities do not have easy access to health care and often have to travel in order to get the care they need.
Thanks to Interior Health, kidney patients have the option to receive treatment at home instead of travelling long distances to hospitals or clinics.
It is all part of the Interior Health Renal Program for remote areas. The program was launched in May of 2015 and brought home hemodialysis training to those patients in rural communities who wished to have equipment in their homes. Interior Health said “all home hemodialysis patients are provided comprehensive training, follow-up care and ongoing support, but normally this training is performed in a major renal centre.”
Interior Health shared the story of Jackson Brown-John who is a resident of Horsefly, a rural community about an hour east of Williams Lake. Due his failed kidney’s, Brown-John was forced to travel three-times a week to Williams Lake in order to receive dialysis treatment.
Thanks to the at home care, the Horsefly resident now has the option of receiving care in the comforts of his own home instead of in a hospital. Alongside his partner Dianna, Brown-John was spent six weeks training in Williams Lake before the treatment became part of their home. Treatment included instruction on taking blood pressure, as well as how to hook-up, take down and disinfect the machine. While it was a learning curve, Brown-John said it has gotten easier with practice.
“It seems quite simple now that I’ve done it,” said Brown-John.
“I am overwhelmed by all the help. There are probably six people we could call- the technicians who run the machine, the clinic in Kamloops or Williams Lake. They bend over backwards to help you.”
Interior Health said there are currently 22 home hemodialysis patients in the Interior region. While some patients do require through conventional hemodialysis, those whose health is stable and are willing to learn the process do have the option of setting up treatment in the home.
Across the province, there are approximately 160 patients managing an at-home hemodialysis treatment. The provincial program was established in 2004 by the BC Renal Agency in collaboration with health authorities like Interior Health.
Story contributed by Interior Health.
