SAKA
SAKA is here for you. We help all kidney patients covered by the Sheffield Kidney Institute, along with families and friends.
Feel free to contact us for further information, to make any suggestions for what we could do for kidney patients or if you need any help.
Email:
Phone SAKA Secretary:
07719 787885
SAKA Facebook Group
Patients (and family members, friends, carers etc) who attend the Sheffield Kidney Unit or its satellites are invited to join this small confidential Facebook Group to share news and information.
Click the link below to visit/join:
ShareHELP & SUPPORT FOR KIDNEY PATIENTS
HOW SAKA CAN HELP
SAKA provides help and support for kidney patients receiving their treatment at Sheffield Kidney Institute (Northern General Hospital and satellite units). We understand the problems and needs of renal patients as the Committee consists of people with close connections to CKD themselves, including patients and carers.
Renal patients, families and carers are welcome to approach us in times of financial hardship. If you are struggling to afford the basic items you need, we may be able to offer help. The Trustees work in conjunction with the renal social workers and we will look at all requests for help. We will assess individual needs and all enquiries are treated with sympathy and in strict confidence.
If you think SAKA can assist you in any way, please click on the link below to fill in and submit an initial enquiry. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
Click here to enquire about grants from SAKA
HOLIDAY DIALYSIS
SAKA agrees that dialysis patients should be able to live as normal a life as possible and this includes being able to take holidays. We are able to offer financial assistance when patients have to pay for dialysis away from their home base. We can also cover travel costs to and from the dialysis centre when dialysing away from home. Contact the Treasurer for more details: treasurer@saka.org.uk
BENEFITS ADVICE
SAKA funds an Information and Advice service at the Renal Unit at the Northern General Hospital. This is free to use and any renal patient can make use of this service, which covers benefits advice, housing issues, consumer issues, non-residential care, money matters, legal issues etc.
Sessions are also held at Heeley Satellite Unit.
The sessions are run on our behalf by Age UK, but are open to patients of any age.
So far we have had a lot of success in helping people claim benefits, which they may not otherwise have realised they were entitled to.
For further details or to book an appointment:
Phone 0114 2502850 or
email: enquiries@ageuksheffield.org.uk
COST OF LIVING SUPPORT / HELP WITH ENERGY COSTS
With constantly rising prices for energy, food and other goods it is a worrying time for lots of people. Here are some suggested sources of advice and help. Click on each link for details.
Sheffield City Council offers support and advice for people facing financial hardship and those struggling to pay their rent or mortgage:
Cost of living | Sheffield City Council
Community Support: Welcome Places
There is a list of warn, welcoming places open for people to go for support, friendly faces, a chat, a warm drink etc. The Voluntary Action map page is being constantly updated as places open so do check what is available in your area:
Voluntary and Community Support - Voluntary Action Sheffield (vas.org.uk)
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For Government advice: Cost of Living Support – Get government support to help with the cost of living (campaign.gov.uk)
Ofgem: Getting help if you can't afford your energy bills | Ofgem
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Turn2Us helps people in financial need to gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help: Fighting UK Poverty - Turn2us
Coping with rising costs: advice and support | Kidney Care UK
NKF
HELP WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND BENEFITS ADVICE
With the cost-of-living crisis hitting everyone hard in the UK right now, costs of energy
bills and the overall costs going up, the National Kidney Federation want to provide as much help as they can to patients and loved ones.
The brand new Financial Support web page provides information on guidance such as whether you may be eligible for extra financial support, what government payments are available, how to save
effectively, what steps you can take to improve energy efficiency and usage, benefits advice and so much more.
NKF HELPLINE
Don't forget that NKF run the only free UK Helpline dedicated to kidney patients with two fully trained, experienced advisers providing a 5 day per week service to kidney patients, carers and healthcare professionals and renal units.
The NKF Helpline is open from 9am until 5pm Monday to Friday on
0800 169 09 36 or email : helpline@kidney.org.uk
The NKF Helpline is also the UK’s largest provider of kidney-related medical information leaflets with a library of over 200 titles written by nephrologists in simple language for patients and carers.
Visit the National Kidney Federation website.
Kidney Care UK can offer support through patient grants, holiday grants etc.
Visit their website for details:
They offer advice and support through a National Advocacy Service and can give one to one help either over the telephone or in person. More details: Advice & support | Kidney Care UK
They have also launched an online resource tailored to meet the needs of kidney patients during the cost of living crisis:
Coping with rising costs: advice and support | Kidney Care UK
Kidney patients, family members and carers can book FREE counselling sessions.
Counselling is a talking therapy that involves a trained therapist listening to you and helping you find ways to manage the challenges and emotional issues that you may be facing. The Kidney Care UK counsellors have specialist knowledge of living with kidney disease, making treatment choices and coping with anxiety and low mood.
Call the Kidney Care UK office on 01420 541 424, or email info@kidneycareuk.org with your telephone contact details so the team can get in touch.
They will arrange for an initial 30-minute chat with a counsellor, so they can understand what you are hoping to get from counselling and explain how they might be able to support you.
If you and the counsellor decide that the service is right for you, they will arrange a series of up to six 50-minute counselling sessions. The sessions are weekly and conducted on online platforms or by phone.
The PKD Charity is dedicated to helping people with polycystic kidney disease live life as fully as possible.
Visit their website :Home (pkdcharity.org.uk)
Helpline: 0300 111 1234 9.30 to 5.30 Monday to Friday
or Text: 07739 632836
or email: support@pkdcharity.org.uk
ADVICE ON SIGHT LOSS / VISION PROBLEMS
Anyone experiencing problems with their vision as a consequence of CKD is welcome to contact SRSB (Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind) for help and advice.
Phone: 0114 272 2757
DIABETES
Many renal patients also have diabetes. Pre-existing diabetes can cause kidney failure whilst other people may develop diabetes as a result of their treatment for CKD.
There is a local Group of Diabetes UK who can provide support, and anyone is welcome to attend the monthly meetings with speakers on a variety of aspects of the condition.
MENTAL HEALTH
The Listening Line is a phone service for people living in Sheffield, aged 18 and over.
If you - or a friend or relative - is experiencing mental health symptoms and would like to talk to someone about it...
To speak to a Listening Line operator, please phone 0114 312 2209 or if you would prefer us to phone you, email info@sheffieldmind.co.uk and we will arrange a call-back.
We operate Monday to Friday, 10-4pm
Visit Sheffield Mind website for more details about their mental health services.
The NHS website has a section entitled Every mind matters
Every Mind Matters - NHS (www.nhs.uk)https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/
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