For people with kidney failure, simple everyday tasks like carrying groceries or walking to the mailbox can become challenging.
These difficulties increase even further for people starting peritoneal dialysis treatment, an option that allows patients to self-manage their treatment at home.
But thanks to your support of Kidney, Transplant and Diabetes Research Australia (KTDRA), an innovative 12-week program designed to maintain good physical function is about to begin trials in South Australia.
Designed by Dr Brett Tarca, an exercise physiologist and early career researcher at the University of South Australia, the program is aimed at prevention and getting people physically fit to handle their dialysis journey.
He said the program would target muscle strength and general fitness, factors that are known to influence physical function.
“We are testing a ‘prehabilitation’ concept, which involves improving a person’s functional capacity before they start a medical procedure or treatment,” Dr Tarca said.
“This program, initiated before the commencement of peritoneal dialysis, and re-commencing once treatment has begun, represents a novel approach that has not been attempted before.”
As an at-home alternative to haemodialysis, maintaining good physical function is paramount to ensuring peritoneal dialysis is successful.
Unfortunately, it’s common for people to experience a decline in their physical function and there are no strategies to prevent it, potentially compromising a person’s ability to self-manage their treatment.
Participants will have an initial one-on-one consultation with an exercise physiologist who will put together a tailor-made, at-home exercise program.
They will be given resistance bands and a gym ball for strengthening exercises with a particular focus on the abdominal muscles, and assigned an aerobic exercise of their choice, like walking or cycling.
Dr Tarca said patient recruitment was due to begin in September, with the aim to recruit 30 participants due to start treatment.
“We want people receiving peritoneal dialysis to continue engaging in an active lifestyle so they can maintain or improve their physical function and continue managing their dialysis treatment effectively and independently at home,” he said.
“We see this program leading to better health outcomes by keeping patients physically active and reducing physical decline. This could translate into improved quality of life, and greater treatment adherence.”
This project was one of three that shared in $100,000 earlier this year through a collaborative grant round between KTDRA and parent charity, The Hospital Research Foundation Group, and the Central and Northern Adelaide Renal and Transplantation Service.
