Understanding the journey travelled by patients and carers living with end stage kidney disease and haemodialysis

Management of a patient's CKD in order to slow the progression of the patient's declining kidney function, manage multiple co-morbidities and symptom burden aligned with supporting patient and family/carer(s) psychological healthcare needs and their management of personal affairs is central. Dialysis options include peritoneal dialysis, or alternatively modes of haemodialysis which require a mature/viable vascular access in readiness for the patient's first haemodialysis therapy (Feddersen and Roger, 2012; Polkinghorne et al. 2009).
This will include the timely surgical creation and optimal time for maturation and any necessary interventions that promote the viability of the patient's vascular access prior to commencing haemodialysis therapy (Fluck and Kumwenda, 2011).