Kidney Care UK offer free support services for kidney patients and their families.
- Information and resources about all aspects of living with kidney disease are available on our website and in our FREE patient information booklets.
- Our direct patient services provide practical, emotional and financial support to thousands of patients and their families every year.
- The Kidney Kitchen has advice about kidney-friendly nutrition and our delicious recipes are approved by kidney dietitians.
Not sure what help you need? Get in touch and we’ll find the right person for you to speak to.
When Rayhanneh's dad was diagnosed with kidney failure, it impacted the entire family
"We heard about Kidney Care UK through my dad’s dialysis unit. When my dad was diagnosed, he didn't think he'd have any freedom once he started dialysis, but Kidney Care UK showed us that he could and gave advice on how we could potentially have a much-needed holiday. It was like a weight had been lifted.
"Kidney Care UK helped with organising dialysis abroad and obtaining the required mobility aids for my dad. The charity gave lots of advice on where we could go on holiday, where the dialysis is available, reassured us on how safe this was and awarded us a holiday grant to help with the cost. They also contributed towards the cost of a wheelchair.
"They have also supported my mum, who is a full-time carer for my dad now, with advice and support on the website and over the phone."
Emily's diagnosis of IgA nephropathy was a complete shock as she had never had any illness or sickness before
"During my research into kidney disease and diet, I came across the Kidney Care UK website which had a number of resources that were useful to me, including the Kidney Kitchen. It has provided me with some great recipes to help me to eat a healthy diet and it gives me ideas of how to adapt my food to be suitable for my kidneys. Having the nutrition break down at the bottom of each recipe allows me to fully understand how the food can affect my protein and potassium levels and therefore I can adapt my food accordingly. My favourite recipes are the chicken pie, the risotto and the scones (I love them!).
"I also came across the counselling and support service, and I used the service as a newly diagnosed patient and was able to talk about how frightened I've been by kidney disease, particularly my fear of other illnesses and my family getting sick.
"During my counselling sessions, I was able to start to come to terms with my disease and develop strategies to help me overcome my fears. The main breakthrough for me was understanding how to be open in discussing my fears with family and friends. I honestly can't thank my counsellor enough. The support I received has been hugely important to help me move forward on my kidney disease journey."
When he was diagnosed with CKD, Glenn decided he wouldn't let the condition define him
"I first heard about Kidney Care UK from my kidney team. They advised that I should visit the website and gain some valuable support on my diet.
"Initially, the website put things in simple terms for me understand the full impact of the illness – when you are diagnosed there is a lot of information to digest and a lot of it is very technical. I now use it every time that I have a hospital visit.
"I find the information on the website comforting. Seeing that other people are going through the same as me and are living a healthy life has always given me a huge boost. I monitor what I eat and drink and most of the food that we eat at home is now from the Kidney Kitchen recipe collection.
"I would advise anyone living with CKD to spend some time looking at the Kidney Care UK website and utilising the services that are offered. I have an extremely supportive family – my partner has fully embraced the way we have to live, and my son has volunteered to be a live donor – and having Kidney Care UK available as additional support, with trained professionals who understand CKD, provides massive peace of mind.
"Ellie, my stepdaughter, has done a sponsored 10k, spin session, and recently a half marathon to support Kidney Care UK. She fundraises because she has seen the impact that having CKD has had on me and the family. The best part for me was seeing her determination and her crossing the finishing line."
Lee's chronic kidney disease was diagnosed due to high blood pressure, and he will be starting dialysis soon
"After my kidney disease diagnosis, I felt like I had no support. I had to stop work, and I was navigating the minefield of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to see if I was entitled to benefits. I was living on only £30 a week, and at one point I was made homeless. I was thinking about these financial worries instead of my health. I felt totally alone and that was when I found out about Kidney Care UK by searching online.
"I rang them and was put onto the Patient Support & Advocacy service. I was extremely stressed, but when I spoke with my Patient Support & Advocacy Officer, Trish, she knew what I was going through. For the first time, I didn’t have to keep repeating myself to get someone to understand kidney disease. To know someone at the end of the phone knew what I was going through was so important.
"Trish was able to help with so many things. When I was in temporary accommodation, I was told I'd be moved into a YMCA which would have been bad for physical and mental health. Trish provided a letter to explain that with me starting dialysis, I needed my own space and my own shower because hygiene is so important. I was lucky to be offered a flat and she was instrumental in helping with that. It was such a relief.
"She referred me for extra support with debt after I fell out of work, and she helped me get a voucher code to go and receive food parcels from the food bank. If you are having a bad day, ring up Kidney Care UK and they will help you. You are not alone."
After his transplant began to fail and he started dialysis, Dave found Kidney Kitchen’s dietitian-approved recipes useful (and tasty!)
"Kidney Care UK didn’t come up on my radar until around 2018 when I returned to dialysis after my transplant had had enough. I used the website for holiday information and their publication Kidney Matters, which seemed a valuable source of information, was available in the dialysis waiting area.
"I do the cooking at home and knowing that I love Indian food, a fellow patient handed me a copy of the Kidney Kitchen South Asian Recipes magazine. What a pleasure it was to open the publication to see real ingredients, not pastes from a jar and other short-cuts that leave you guessing about potassium. Three recipes tried; three recipes enjoyed. I cook Indian dishes reasonably frequently and those recipes did not disappoint."