The society does not provide medical services of any kind, as its expertise lies in the areas of support, education, information and patient representation.
Kidney Society services are free for kidney failure families in Northland and Auckland, although membership is encouraged.
The Society works closely with the professionals providing medical care for people with kidney failure but is a strictly independent patient society providing support in the community.
Dialysis Camp
Getting away from it all for a break is not easy when you're on haemodialysis. You need a treatment at least three times a week, so you need to be within a day's travel of a dialysis machine at all times. It is not impossible to dialyse at other dialysis units around the country, but in practice most of these units are full most of the time and as a result, many patients never travel more than a day or at most two, away from home. 
To make it possible for families in this situation to have an annual holiday at little or no cost, the Society runs an annual dialysis camp for families at Camp Morley, usually in January before the new school year starts. Most years, up to 22 Auckland and Northland haemodialysis patients and their families - a total of some 70 people including a number of children - enjoy an uninterrupted 6 day holiday at Camp Morley, Clarks Beach south of Auckland, complete with dialysis machines.
The Kidney Society dialysis camp is an opportunity for families to "get away from it all" for a short time, and to recharge their batteries for another year's worth of coping with life around a dialysis machine.
Hospital renal staff transport six dialysis machines and all the necessary medical and technical supplies as well as Kidney Society recliner chairs and sun umbrellas out to Camp Morley. They also provide staff to help with the dialysis so that every patient, whether able to dialyse without help or needing staff assistance, is able to come to camp with their family. Kidney Society staff and volunteers manage the bookings, fundraising, cabin allocation, health and safety and the camp kitchen for the shared evening meal. Families bring their own bedding, provide their own transport and entertainment and bring food for their own breakfast and lunch.
The camp is FREE for patients and families and is run by Kidney Society staff and volunteers. Funding comes from grants and donations of cash, food, equipment and services.
Our next camp will be held from Sunday 17 to Friday 22 January 2010.
You can put your name on our list now!
Let us know if you are interested in coming - we are starting a list of interested people now. Phone Beryl at the Kidney Society, (09) 278 1321 (freephone 0800 235 711 if you are from out of town). For more details click here.
