AN elderly kidney patient from Droitwich has become the first in the country to receive home dialysis while living in a residential nursing home.

Elsie Evans, who has been undergoing treatment at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) for an auto immune condition leading to kidney failure, had been receiving haemodialysis at her own home in Droitwich for 18 months.

When her health deteriorated, she decided to move into the nearby Rashwood Nursing Home last December.

Following an assessment carried out by staff from Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB), Mrs Evans, who was 84 on August 9, was able to transfer her haemodialysis machine into the nursing home earlier this year.

Her son Matthew, 44, who used to be a computer programmer but is now a full-time carer for his mother, said: “My mum was diagnosed at the QE with an auto immune disease called Wegener’s granulomatosis that can affect many organs.

“In my mum’s case it was her kidneys leading to kidney failure. She was also struggling with her breathing and it had a major impact on her. She couldn’t believe she needed dialysis because my dad, Peter, was on it for six years before he sadly died in 2007.

Mr Evans said he contacted QEHB after learning about the possibility of home dialysis. He and his mother then attended training sessions at the hospital for about three months before he was allowed to dialyse his mother at home.

He added: “To begin with the machine was in the dining room so I would help her from her bedroom to there to dialyse. But then, after about 18 months at home, it was felt that she needed to go into nursing care because she was becoming more frail.

“I think Rashwood are very progressive in their thinking to allow the dialysis machine. Staff from QE came to the nursing home to talk to them and they were happy to move the machine from my house.”