End-stage renal failure - a long term condition - for iPad/Mac/PC
The Open UniversityWhat does a dialysis machine do? How do people who suffer from renal failure balance their everyday life with being treated for the medical condition? End-stage renal failure is a long term condition in which the kidneys lose their ability to filter toxins and waste products from the blood. It affects mainly older people and is on the increase. Treatment usually involves finding ways to filter waste, using a process known as dialysis which can take place in hospital or at home. 73 year old Malcolm has been on haemodialysis for four and a half years. In this collection, he shares his experience of living with end-stage renal failure and the limitations imposed by the need for regular dialysis.