Friday 29 March 2024

LifeCycle distributes psychological vouchers to renal patients


-Available from Renal Unit at Mater Dei Hospital –

LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation and the Renal Unit have set up R.U.S.H. – the Renal Unit Support Health Hub.  LifeCycle-R.U.S.H. are offering free psychological support to kidney patients, as well as to current patients receiving kidney transplants and current live donors. 

About 300 kidney patients undergoing haemodialysis treatment or kidney transplant will be benefiting from the new LifeCycle R.U.S.H. psychological voucher scheme.  Renal patients wishing to seek psychological therapy will be given a voucher from the Renal Unit at Mater Dei Hospital.

The voucher will entitle the patient to one free therapy session with their preferred psychologist from five psychologists listed on this scheme by the Malta Chamber of Psychologists (MCP). The renal patient will make an appointment with the psychologist and during the visit will present the voucher to the psychologist as a form of payment. The vouchers will be honoured by LifeCycle Foundation.

“From experiences we learnt, many renal patients are at a complete loss as to how to adapt their lives in a meaningful manner. Apart from the dedicated support they receive at the Renal Unit, they need to be mentally prepared for the life changes that they encounter at the different stages of the disease,” said LifeCycle Founder Alan Curry.

“This project has been on our mind for some time, but we lacked the funds. Following discussions with Renal Unit Head and Lead Consultant Nephrologist Professor Emmanuel Farrugia and the team of nurses, we are now in a position to help patients in having a better quality of life notwithstanding their daily life challenges,” added Alan Curry.

The Renal Unit provides dialysis treatment for about 300 patients suffering from kidney failure. It also provides transplant co-ordination services and support to patients and their family members.   

“Patients with kidney disease undergoing regular dialysis face difficulties in maintaining their employment, financial flexibility, social life, as well as in their food and liquid intake. Adapting their lifestyle to dialysis treatment is hard, therefore psychology support is essential during their treatment,” said Paul Calleja, Charge Nurse at the Renal Unit.

“The Malta Chamber of Psychologists is pleased to be collaborating with LifeCycle Foundation on this venture through the support of its members. As a Chamber we feel that the aim of this project caters for a much-needed service with this specific client group,” said Elaine Schembri Lia, Clinical Psychologist and a Family Therapist, Council Member on the Malta Chamber of Psychologists at MCP.                              

For the past 20 years, LifeCycle has been raising money for life saving equipment in order to help persons suffering from kidney disease while advancing the awareness about organ transplants in Malta.

LifeCycle Foundation has recently secured a two-year sponsorship with Nescafé 3in1. The Nescafé 3in1 LifeCycle Challenge 2019 will be taking participants to a gruelling challenge in Southeast Asia covering a route of 2,000 km from Vietnam, through Laos, Cambodia and ending in Hoi Chi Minh in Vietnam.

Donations for Nescafé 3in1 LifeCycle Challenge 2019 can be sent via sms: 5061 7370 = €2.33; 5061 8920 = €6.99; 5061 9229 = €11.65; or via a call to 5160 2020 = €10, 5170 2005 = €15; and 5180 2006 = €25. Bank details are Swift code VALLMTMT, IBAN number MT 18 VALL 22013000000014814521017, Bank name Bank of Valletta, Account number 14814521017.

For further updates and to donate towards LifeCycle Challenge 2019 on www.lifecyclefoundation.com or on Fb: https://www.facebook.com/LifeCycleChallenge/

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