Kidney disease is an overlooked serious condition that isn't paid close enough attention to and in some cases it may be too late, so dialysis care may become someone's last option. There are multiple factors that may contribute to kidney disease and they may come in different forms whether it is dealing with someone's mental health condition, their substance abuse, and many other health conditions. .
Depression, diabetes, and hypertension are a few main conditions that may lead to kidney disease. I specifically chose these three conditions because I have a few family members that have suffered through this disease and have dealt with all three things. Thankfully my family members have beaten the odds with living on dialysis care for many years, to my knowledge living on dialysis takes a toll on the body. Since I have been placed at the Center for Dialysis Care here in Cleveland for my internship I have gained even more knowledge in such a short period of time. This was an area that I am also guilty of overlooking because I didn't think that social work really could play a part into kidney disease. I have learned that social workers play a key role in patient's lives that suffer from this disease whether it is helping them locate resources or being there for support of the client. While playing the role of a social worker at my placement it is essential to understand the causes and connections that are linked to kidney disease. .
Depression and kidney disease are linked together when it comes to the emotional well being of an individual. Living with kidney disease can be tough on a client by its likely effect on their everyday lifestyle. Simple things that a client was once able to do may not be the same once diagnosed with kidney disease. I think that having a support system also plays a part in depression and kidney disease, if a client lacks family or friend support it becomes difficult to find coping mechanisms that help deal with their disease.
