What Does VIKPA Do?
Renal patients are long-term patients enduring regular life-saving dialysis sessions and often frequent hospital stays. Items that may otherwise seem like luxuries are often essential to maintain patient morale while undergoing these extended treatments. The following are just some of the areas that VIKPA is able to fund with the generous donations from our donors that have a huge impact on the quality of life for patients and their families. VIKPA began in 1973 with overall mission is to fund patient comforts that can make arduous and frequent treatments easier.
These are some of the items and programs VIKPA has been able to fund over the years:
- 45 – Toshiba TV sets at each patient dialysis station and most waiting rooms and renal units for patients on kidney dialysis machines (usually three sessions a week – 4 hours each time).
- Bursary for kidney patients, their children and grandchildren are available annually to assist in post-secondary education
- Ice machine in the renal units
- A patient cordless phone for Royal Jubilee Hospital – renal unit and the Victoria Community Dialysis Facility so patients can maintain contact with their families while hospitalized.
- Bookcases and patient library materials, coffee machines, microwaves and refrigerators for patient food preparation provided in the renal units and hospital wards.
- Coat racks for renal clinics.
- Blood Pressure Cuffs for loan to patients for home monitoring
- Renal Cookbooks for dieticians to help patients eat well
- Wheels for Wellness Society to help patients get to treatment
Patient Needs
VIKPA provides the Social Workers a fund to allow for the facilitation of various patient needs as and when
required. VIKPA recently increased the fund to cover the needs of up island patient’s traveling needs.
VIKPA also funds an annual Christmas gift certificate program for those deemed to be in need by the social workers. VIKPA funds items that allow patients to have what others can normally provide for themselves. In 2021 we provided with the support of our generous donors 600 – $50.00 grocery gift cards to patients.
Bursaries that can allow patients to obtain higher education. Many renal patients have had to put their lives on hold while awaiting treatments.
Patient Advocacy
VIKPA advocates for the needs of renal patients on Vancouver Island:
VIKPA volunteers serve on hospital advisory committees.
VIKPA is operated by volunteers that are primarily renal patients themselves.
VIKPA voluntarily funds patient comforts and hospital equipment that may otherwise not be available.
Hospital Equipment
VIKPA funds hospital equipment and major equipment purchases for patient care that may not be normally provided to assist in timely patient treatment.
Vascular Access Ultrasound Scanner (a portable ultrasound scanner specifically designed to aid physicians when guiding needles for inserting a central venous catheter for hemodialysis when the normal graft is either not present or not ready for use). This greatly reduces the chances for physician error, thereby increasing patient comfort.
Transonic Hemodialysis Monitor Package that measures discrepancies in blood flow during hemodialysis that can help prevent emergency surgeries on the vascular access. This reduces hospital emergency surgeries and reduces patient anxiety.
- 2 Stryker Beds
- 9 Dialysis Chairs to increase dialysis patient comfort
- Bladder Scanner
- IV infusion pumps
- Defibrillators for all Island satellite dialysis units.
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