6 minute read
Annual Campaigns
Kidney Health Awareness
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Kidney Health Month
Every March, through Kidney Health Month campaigns and World Kidney Day, BC Renal promotes public awareness about how to keep our kidneys healthy, risk factors for kidney disease, and early diagnosis.
In 2022, for the fourth year in a row, we partnered with The Kidney Foundation of Canada - BC & Yukon Branch on a print, web, and social media campaign. This year, we introduced new graphics and messaging for a refreshed campaign called, “Could you be the 1 in 10 with kidney disease?”
BC Renal also ran a related transit campaign, produced a newsletter, and created a story featuring planning group patient partners Sheryl Straza and Rozelle Callangan. As in prior years, messaging guided the public to KidneyHealthCheck.ca and BC Renal’s online Kidney Health SelfAssessment tool, both of which were updated in 2022. Available in English, Chinese and Punjabi, the self-assessment tool provides a high-level assessment of kidney disease risk factors, and encourages those at higher risk to discuss kidney function testing (a simple blood test) with their primary care provider/family doctor.
Throughout the year, we also ran Facebook ads of our prior “Could you lose 80%?” campaign, which uses a light-hearted video and images to engage audiences and direct them to the self-assessment tool. In March, we also ran our popular 31-day #KidneyHealthChallenge campaign on social media to promote healthy choices for foods, fluids and lifestyle.
1in10 British Columbians are affected by kidney disease. Many don’t even know it.
Check your kidney health online:
World Kidney Day
The year’s World Kidney Day theme was “Bridging the Knowledge Gap to Better Kidney Care.” BC Renal promoted the theme via social media and held an online all-staff get-together to mark the day, share resources and showcase the new video “Test Your Kidney IQ Game Show,” produced by The Kidney Foundation - BC & Yukon Branch. For more about our variety of campaigns, see our Kidney Health Month web page.
Web info & resources:
BCRenal.caHealth Info Prevention & Public Health Kidney Health Month
Emergency Preparedness
In the blink of an eye, anything can happen. It doesn’t matter whether it’s winter, spring, summer or fall, we live in a time when changing weather can happen quickly, with undeniable force and serious outcomes.
However, it’s not just weather-related events we need to prepare for. Many British Columbians live in earthquake-prone areas, and other serious events can arise at any time. Emergency preparedness is particularly crucial for kidney patients, especially those who rely on life sustaining dialysis care.
BC Renal • BCRenalAgency.ca
Key resources for an active emergency response
In recent years, BC Renal has bolstered our emergency preparedness resources and they are readily accessible on our website: • How Dialysis Patients Can Prepare for
Power Outages and Other Disasters video
• Emergency Preparedness Information for Dialysis Patients booklet • Planning for Disaster wallet cards • Planning for Disaster poster • Kidney patient emergency information forms
• Emergency disconnect procedures for home dialysis patients
All of these resources are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi.
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緊急應變措施
我是一名腎臟透析患者 I am a dialysis patient:
主要在血液透析中心治療 Hemodialysis: In-centre 主要採用居家血液透治療 Hemodialysis: Home
主要採用居家腹膜透治療 Peritoneal Dialysis: Home
緊急救援人員須知 For emergency responders:
1. 注意血液透析的通路狀況。
Caution dialysis access. 2. 檢查電解質及/或心電圖以確認是否患有高血鉀症。
Check electrolytes and/or ECG for hyperkalemia. 3. 如確認為高血鉀症,則給予鈣或降血鉀藥物磺酸多乙烯苯鈉 (鈣補充劑或降鉀藥物聚苯乙烯磺酸鈉(Kayexalate))。
Give calcium or sodium polystyrene sulphonate (Calcium Resonium or Kayexelate) if hyperkalemia.
BC Renal • BCRenalAgency.ca
April 2020 Emergency Preparedness Information For Dialysis Patients
April 2020
the northern way of caring
Handling the heat
New emergency resources added in 2022 included Staying Cool in the Summer – Tips for Dialysis Patients and a Staying Cool in the Summer poster. Both are available in the Emergency Preparedness section of our website.
Staying Cool in the Summer – Tips for Dialysis Patients
Staying Cool
in the Summer
We experienced the hottest day on record for British Columbia in 2021. Warm summer days are great, but sometimes they can get too warm! When you are on dialysis, hot days can be challenging. You may feel dehydrated and thirsty, but drinking more fluid is not the best way to stay cool. It can push you over your recommended daily fluid allowance and cause complications. TIPS FOR DIALYSIS PATIENTS
A few tips to stay safe this summer:
Never sit in a car that is not running: Sometimes dialysis patients sit in their car to rest after dialysis. Even with the windows down, the temperature is much warmer than outside. Just a few minutes in your car can be very dangerous. Try to find a bench in the shade outside if you need to rest. When driving, use the air conditioner or roll the windows down if you don’t have air conditioning. Avoid waiting in a parked car that is not running while a family member runs errands. Outdoor activities: Avoid activities outside during the heat of the day. If you like to walk, find an air-conditioned place such as the mall or a treadmill at the gym. Staying cool: Try to stay inside when the day is at its hottest. (i.e. between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm) If possible, use a fan or air conditioner to keep cool. You may want to put ice in front of a fan to cool the air. Put wash cloths in the freezer to place on your neck or forehead; this may help you cool down. Visit air conditioned places such as the mall or the library. Fluid intake: People on dialysis are more sensitive to hot weather, but you could harm yourself by drinking too much fluid. Ask your dialysis team how much you should drink when the weather is hot. You can limit your thirst by avoiding salt, sugar, and sports drinks (often higher in sodium).
Use frozen treats to cut down the amount of fluids you drink.
Freeze grapes or blueberries for a cold, refreshing snack.
Try to avoid:
BC Renal • BCRenal.ca
Sitting in a hot car after dialysis.
May 2022
Drink cold liquids instead of hot ones.
Snack on chilled low-potassium fruits and vegetables
Suck on ice cubes to help fluids last longer. Swallow pills with cold applesauce instead of a liquid.
Outdoor activities during the heat of the day. Drinking too much fluid.
Emergency Preparedness Month
BC Renal promotes the importance of preparation with Emergency Preparedness Month each May.
This initiative underscores why kidney patients and health care professionals across the BC Renal network should be “ready for anything” to help themselves and others when unexpected events pose a serious threat.
BC Renal’s patient and health professional resources are complemented by the Provincial Renal Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plan, which is maintained by our provincial Emergency Management Committee.
Web info & resources:
BCRenal.caHealth InfoKidney Care Emergency Preparedness “I know what it’s like to face sudden upheaval. If you are a dialysis patient, I encourage you to try not to panic, so you can think more clearly about a solution. Plan to have on hand, or to take with you, at least four days of clothes and one week of medication. Trust the first responders and caregivers. They will be so appreciative of your cooperation, and remember, you will not go through this alone, and they have more than only you to care for.”
Pat Bailey, dialysis patient evacuated by helicopter from Abbotsford during the November 2021 floods
