Kidney failure in 82 year old aunt.

[prettypurpledaisy]

I am posting here to see if any of you have any experience of this.
My aunt has just been admitted to hospital after being housebound for 18 months, she has hidden this from me as I live a long way away and have only had phone contact. Her neighbour rang to say she had had a fall and had been hospitalised.
I went down to see her in hospital and was told by the dr that she was being treated for kidney failure, her reading should be around 60 but hers was 4. The dr said that dialysis was not being considered as a treatment for her but they were trying to establish the cause. I came home distressed and uncertain of what to do but was assured the hospital would call me.
She has been moved wards today and the nurse I spoke to couldn't give me much information as she would not be seen by a dr again until Monday.
Having googled it I am scaring myself silly.
Any advise would be welcome.

[ajandjjmum]

I'm a long way from being an expert but my Mum at 88 is fluctuating between 13% and 17% kidney function, and I understand that they usually start planning for dialysis of some kind at 15%.

So although your Aunt does sound very low, if she hasn't been having any treatment for her kidney condition, maybe they will be able to improve it using medication?

There are various forums that I've glanced at occasionally, although sometimes - as you say - that isn't a good thing to do.

I would make an appointment to see the doctor, to discuss the situation with them.

[AuntieStella]

You need to keep in close touch with her team.

What tests are they running, and when do they expect to get results.

It does make sense for them to establish what they are dealing with, before making treatment decisions. But I would expect only a short interval whilst they do so, and that tests will provide information that makes a significant difference to the options.

Will yo be able to speak on Monday?

[prettypurpledaisy]

Thanks for the replies. I will ring the ward on Monday and make sure I ask the right questions. I am not sure who she has listed as her next of kin, she may have said my mum but she is in a care home and very confused following a stroke, I gave my details when at the hospital but with my mum the hospital gave me little or no information until they wanted to discharge her and then I was given 7 days to find a care home and don't want the same thing to happen with my aunt.
They were going to put her on a drip and fit a catheter plus do a scan but this wasn't done on Friday so will probably be done on Monday.
She is not coping living on her own, will social services have been contacted?