Family Reunion Health Guide

Make Kidney Health a Family Reunion Affair

NATIONAL KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION PROGRAM
Table of Contents

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NATIONAL KIDNEY DISEASE EDUCATION PROGRAM l FAMILY REUNION HEALTH GUIDE

Make Health a Family Reunion Affair

Family reunions are fun. You have a chance to talk about old times with relatives, honor 

ancestors, and sample favorite family recipes. You also have a chance to enjoy being 

together. And while the family is together, it is a great time to talk about family health. 

It is a great time to make the kidney connection.

This guide was developed by the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP), as 

part of the Family Reunion Initiative. It will help you talk to your family about kidney disease 

and its connection to diabetes and high blood pressure. You may know family members 

who have diabetes or high blood pressure or both. What you may not know is that 

diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney failure. 

Kidney failure affects African Americans more than other groups. 

That is why it is important to talk to your family about the risk factors for kidney disease. 

It is important to talk about the need to get tested, and how kidney disease can be treated. 

This guide contains the basic information needed to talk to your family about kidney 

disease. The guide includes steps they can take to protect their kidneys. It is specifically 

designed for family reunion planners, but anyone planning or attending a reunion or 

any family gathering may find this guide useful. Either way, you are helping to start 

(or continue) an important conversation about family health. You are making the 

kidney connection.

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The guide includes three sample approaches 

for presenting kidney health information: 

1. Talking one-on-one with family members 

at risk for kidney disease

2. Conducting a 15-minute Make the 

Kidney Connection health discussion 

at your family reunion

3. Connecting with family members 

by email, online, and on the phone 

These approaches are only suggestions. Feel free to present the information in a way 

that is comfortable for you and interesting to your family. Sharing this information can 

go a long way toward helping ensure that family members enjoy many more reunions 

to come. You may print and hand out the fact sheets in the links below. You also may 

play and share the Make the Kidney Connection video.

Thank you for making the kidney connection!

Fact Sheets and Handouts

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Approach 1:

The 15-minute Make 

the Kidney Connection 

Health Discussion

If you think your family members would be 

open to a short talk at your reunion, consider 

conducting this 15-minute Make the Kidney 

Connection health discussion. The conversation 

includes a quick overview of the most important 

information your family members should know 

about kidney disease. These are: how to know if 

they are at risk, how to get tested, and what can 

be done if they have kidney disease. 

Here’s how it works. Talking points appear in 

boxes throughout this guide. Feel free to put the 

information into your own words and be creative. 

If you have a full weekend of activities for your 

family reunion, you may include this conversation 

during the reunion’s opening reception/meet 

and greet dinner. You could also carve out a time 

during the family cookout or the closing dinner to 

talk about health. Send your family off with tips 

to live healthier until the next family gathering.

If there is time in the reunion schedule, and 

your family is interested, arrange to have 

health professionals conduct screenings. 

The professionals may check blood pressure, 

check weight, and even conduct glucose tests. 

Use the talking points in the boxes to guide your 

discussion with your family.

Note about Health 

Screenings

Many areas require health 

department approvals for 

drawing blood and often 

there is a cost for it. 

Tap family members who 

are nurses or medical 

professionals to coordinate 

the screenings. Reach out 

to organizations like the 

American Kidney Fund 

(kidneyfund.org) and 

National Kidney Foundation 

(kidney.org) to see if they 

may work with you. Contact 

these organizations early in 

your planning process to 

make arrangements.

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Approach 1:

The 15-minute Make the Kidney Connection 

Health Discussion (Continued)

1. Introduce the session

Thank you for giving me some time today to talk 

about an important health issue. This issue is kidney 

disease. I recently learned that more and more 

people are being diagnosed with kidney disease and 

experiencing kidney failure. This includes African 

Americans. When people have kidney failure, it 

means they have to go on dialysis or get a kidney 

transplant to live healthier longer. Many people 

who have a greater chance of getting kidney disease 

don’t know they are at risk. I want us all to have 

many more reunions together, so I want to share this 

information with you. 

Why should we know about kidney disease? 

l Because the number of people with kidney 

disease is increasing rapidly. More than 

20 million people, ages 20 years and older in 

the United States, already have it. 

l Because kidney failure strikes African Americans 

more than other groups. 

l Because it is very likely that some of us are at risk. 

Some of us may know it, and others may not. 

l And, finally, because there’s good news. Kidney 

disease can be treated, and kidney failure can 

be prevented! I want to make sure we all know 

what we can do to protect our kidneys.

Approach 1 Tip

To make a greater 

connection with the 

family, include personal 

stories in your health 

discussion. Talk about 

your own story or have 

another family member 

share how he or she 

manages diabetes or 

high blood pressure. 

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Approach 1:

The 15-minute Make the Kidney Connection 

Health Discussion (Continued)

2. Talk about kidney disease risk factors

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two main risk factors for kidney disease. 

A family history of kidney failure and having cardiovascular disease also puts you at risk. 

Keep in mind that your family members may know that they or other members of the family 

have diabetes or high blood pressure. They also may know that a close family member 

(mother, father, sister, or brother) has kidney disease or kidney failure. But they may not 

know that having any one of these conditions or “risk factors” means they are more likely 

than other people to develop kidney disease. 

Find out what your family members know about kidney disease risk factors.

Okay, who can name one of the leading causes of kidney disease?

Give family members a chance to offer some possible causes. You are likely to get a variety 

of answers. But the leading causes of kidney disease are: diabetes and high blood pressure. 

Remember, having just one of these risk factors increases the risk of developing kidney disease.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney disease. 

Cardiovascular disease and a family history of kidney failure—a mother, father, 

sister, or brother had kidney failure—also increases a person’s chance of 

getting kidney disease. 

So, if you have diabetes OR high blood pressure OR cardiovascular disease OR a 

family history of kidney failure, you are at high risk of developing kidney disease. 

You don’t have to raise your hand, but think about it. How many of you are at risk 

for kidney disease? How many of you know a family member who is at risk?

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Approach 1:

The 15-minute Make the Kidney Connection 

Health Discussion (Continued)

3. Talk about testing and treatment

There are two tests people at risk for kidney disease should have. The first test is a blood test. 

This test is used to check your GFR. GFR stands for glomerular (gloh-MAIR-yoo-lar) filtration 

rate. It tells how well your kidneys are filtering. The second test is a urine test. This test is 

used to check for albumin in your urine. Albumin is a protein that can pass into the urine 

when the kidneys are damaged. 

It also is important to have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure can 

be a sign of kidney disease. Encourage your family to keep their blood pressure at or below 

the number set by their health care provider.

So, what do you do if you are at risk? See your health care provider. Ask your 

provider for tests to learn how your kidneys are doing. Testing is the only way 

to know if you have kidney disease. Many people don’t know they have kidney 

disease until their kidneys are just about to fail. By then, it is too late to do 

anything other than begin dialysis or have a kidney transplant to be able to live 

healthier longer.

That’s why testing is so important. The health care provider tests your blood and 

urine to check how well your kidneys are filtering and to see if protein is passing 

into your urine. If protein is passing into your urine, it’s a sign the kidneys are 

damaged. The good news is that if kidney damage is found, there are medicines 

you can take. For some people, the medication can keep the kidneys from failing. 

Also, there are other things you can do to slow down kidney damage. 

So, if you have even ONE of the risk factors we’ve been talking about—diabetes, 

high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or a family history of kidney failure—

ask your health care provider to test your kidneys.

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Approach 1:

The 15-minute Make the Kidney Connection 

Health Discussion (Continued)

4. T alk about other steps to take to protect 

the kidneys

It’s also important to control your diabetes and 

high blood pressure. By following your health 

care provider’s advice—whether that means 

taking medication, following a special diet, or 

exercising—you help reduce the stress on your 

heart and blood vessels. This helps reduce the 

risk for kidney disease. But even if you have 

your diabetes and high blood pressure under 

control, it is important to have your kidneys 

tested so you can know how they are doing.

Approach 1 Tip

Copy the fact sheets in 

this guide.

 Share them with your 

family members. Share 

NKDEP brochures about 

diabetes and high blood 

pressure. Encourage 

family members to take 

the information with 

them when they go to 

their health care provider.

5. Encourage family members to look out for one another

Here are two suggestions you may try with your family. 

 Designate family health buddies 

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Approach 1:

The 15-minute Make the Kidney Connection 

Health Discussion (Continued)

C

6. E nd the session

Thank everyone for their attention. Thank them also 

for agreeing to look out for each other. If you would 

like to distribute NKDEP materials to your family 

members, visit nkdep.nih.gov/resources.shtml. 

You can download information from the website and 

copy it, or you can order hard copies for free. 

Encourage family members who are involved in their 

faith communities to conduct a Kidney Sundays 

session. To learn more about Kidney Sundays, visit 

nkdep.nih.gov/get-involved.shtml. You also may 

call 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639).

Let family members know they also can get more 

information about diabetes, weight control, and 

high blood pressure.

l To learn more about diabetes, visit the 

National Diabetes Education Program website 

(ndep.nih.gov), or call 1-800-438-5383.

l For more information about weight 

control and physical activity, visit the Weightcontrol Information Network website 

(win.niddk.nih.gov), or call 1–877–946–4627.

l To learn more about managing high blood

pressure, call the National Heart, Lung, and 

Blood Institute (NHLBI) at 1-301-592-8573, or 

visit the Institute online at www.nhlbi.nih.gov. 

The International Society on Hypertension 

in Blacks (ISHIB) also has information online 

at ishib.org.

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Approach 2:

Talking One-on-One

You can include health information at your 

reunion by talking one-on-one with family 

members at risk for kidney disease. 

You already may know which family members 

have diabetes or high blood pressure. You also 

may need to ask others in your family to help 

you identify them. 

Start a conversation with these family 

members, and help them make the 

connection between their diabetes or high 

blood pressure, and their kidney function. 

If you have a family history of kidney failure, 

talk about it with your relatives. 

Approach 2 Tip

If your family has a history of kidney 

failure, talk about it.

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Approach 2:

Talking One-on-One (Continued)

Below are some helpful talking points

l I know that you have [diabetes and/or high blood pressure]. I recently learned

that diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney 

failure. Do you know if you’ve been tested for kidney disease? 

l Don’t wait for symptoms. Early kidney disease has no symptoms. Many people

don’t know they have it until just before the kidneys fail. If your kidneys fail, you’ll 

have to either go on dialysis or get a kidney transplant to live healthier longer. 

l There are two tests that check for kidney disease—a blood test and a urine test. 

Testing is the only way to know if you have kidney disease. So please talk to your 

health care provider about getting tested. 

l If you have kidney disease, there are medicines called ACE inhibitors and ARBs

you can take. There also are other things you can do to help delay or prevent 

kidney failure. This is why testing is so important.

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Approach 2:

Talking One-on-One (Continued)

Tips for approaching family members

Sometimes it can be awkward talking to family members one-on-one about personal 

health issues. Keep these tips in mind when approaching family members at risk: 

Familiarize yourself with the fact sheets in this guide . Offer to help 

family members find more information. Start with the toll-free numbers and 

websites listed in the guide. 

Ask permission to have the conversation. Choose the right time and environment. 

A quiet, private place that is free from distractions is best.

If a family member is not comfortable talking about his or her health, don’t force a 

discussion. Express your feelings of concern. Let him know that you’ll be ready to 

talk whenever he is. Make sure your family members know you care about them 

and their health.

Acknowledge that it is not always easy to face personal health problems. 

Be supportive and listen. Emphasize that the final decision to talk to the health care 

provider is theirs. 

Offer to go with them to the health care provider.

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Approach 3:

Connect with Family 

Members by E-mail, 

Online, and on the Phone

Technology makes it easier to connect with 

family members. You do not have to wait 

until your family reunion to talk about the 

family’s health.

The message template on the 

may be personalized and e-mailed to family 

members. Make your own changes based on 

your personal style. Copy and paste the note 

into the body of an e-mail, a Facebook message, 

a newsletter, or a blog template. If your family 

reunion has a website or your family has a blog, 

you may post a message there, too.

You also may attach a PDF of the NKDEP 

Questions & Answers About the Kidneys and 

Kidney Disease fact sheet to the e-mail to share 

it with your loved ones. The PDF is available in 

the NKDEP Online Resource Center (nkdep.nih.

gov/resources.shtml). You can post this 

message as a note on Facebook, tagging family 

members and loved ones. You also may include 

the message in your family reunion newsletter.

Approach 3 Tip

Every now and then, check 

in with family members 

following your reunion.

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1. Send a Kidney Health Message

Hi Family,

I came across this information and thought it would be helpful. I recently learned 

that diabetes and high blood pressure are the leading causes of kidney failure. 

Many of us are living with diabetes and high blood pressure. Some of us may not 

know that these conditions put us at risk of developing kidney disease.

Kidney disease is serious. It can cause the kidneys to fail. This means a person 

must either go on dialysis or get a kidney transplant to live healthier longer. We 

have a family history of kidney failure, and that puts many of us at risk too. The 

good news is that there are things we can do to protect our kidneys. 

Please read the attached information. If you are at risk for kidney disease, talk to 

your health care provider about getting tested and about other ways to protect 

your kidneys and stay healthy. Let’s make sure there are many more family 

reunions, birthdays, and family gatherings for all of us. Let’s commit to supporting 

each other when it comes to our health. 

For more information about kidney disease, call 1-866-4-KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639) 

or visit nkdep.nih.gov. Join me online and like the Make the Kidney Connection 

page on Facebook (facebook.com/makethekidneyconnection). 

With Love,

[Name here] 

Approach 3:

Connect with Family Members by E-mail, 

Online and on the Phone (Continued)

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Approach 3(Continued)

You can also send a series of text messages 

or quick e-mails to family members.

Before the Reunion

1. Hi family! Taking care of your kidneys is 

important. We’ll be talking about kidney 

health at the reunion.

2. Hi family! Did you know that diabetes and 

high blood pressure are the two leading 

causes of kidney failure? We’ll talk more 

about it at the reunion.

3. Hi family! Your health is important. If you 

have diabetes, high blood pressure, or 

cardiovascular disease, don’t miss our kidney 

health conversation at the reunion.

After the Reunion

1. Hi family! Your health is important. If you 

have diabetes, high blood pressure, or 

cardiovascular disease don’t forget to talk 

with your health care provider about kidney 

disease testing.

2. Hi family! Be sure to maintain a healthy 

weight, be physically active, and reduce 

sodium in your diet. Ask me how.

3. Hi family! Have you checked in on 

your Health Buddy this week? Make a 

promise to support each other. Strive for 

healthier kidneys.

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Share Materials

The Family Reunion Initiative can be tailored 

for your family. No matter which approach 

you choose, be sure to share materials 

included in the back pocket of this guide. 

You also may print and distribute materials 

from the NKDEP website Resource Center 

(nkdep.nih.gov/resources.shtml). 

You can order some of the materials by 

calling 1-866-4-KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639). 

Look for the Family Reunion Health Package

to get everything you need. One package 

is free. For larger quantities, there is a small 

charge. You also may order individual 

brochures and pieces.

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Shared Materials(Continued)

Hand out the Kidney Disease, Diabetes & High Blood 

Pressure fact sheets. 

The fact sheets provide answers to common questions about 

kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. They explain 

symptoms, risk factors, and prevention tips, as well as where to 

go for more information. Be sure to offer fact sheets to family 

members. You also can direct your family to the NKDEP website 

(nkdep.nih.gov) for more information.

Hand out the What African Americans with Diabetes or 

High Blood Pressure Need to Know brochure.

This brochure provides information about kidney disease and 

its connection to diabetes and high blood pressure and the 

importance of getting tested. Use the brochure to guide the 

conversation and give it to family members to take home. 

Distribute the Make the Kidney Connection 

informational card.

The informational card explains the risk factors for kidney disease 

and the importance of getting tested. It also highlights NKDEP’s 

Kidney Sundays, an initiative that helps faith communities talk 

about kidney disease (nkdep.nih.gov//get-involved/talk-with-faithcommunity.shtml). You can insert the informational card into your 

reunion’s weekend program or share them at any gathering.

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Shared Materials(Continued)

Distribute the Make the Kidney Connection Food Tips and 

Healthy Eating Ideas fact sheet. 

Learn how to eat healthy with the Make the Kidney Connection 

Food Tips and Healthy Eating Ideas. This handout provides 

information on reducing portion size and choosing healthier food 

options. Think about sharing the healthier food options during 

your reunion cookout or banquet. When preparing for your 

conversation about kidney disease, print copies of the food tips 

and healthy eating ideas to distribute to family members. Make 

sure they take a copy home.

Distribute the Chronic Kidney Disease: What Does it Mean 

for Me? brochure. 

If you have family members who have been told they have 

kidney disease, you can help them learn what this diagnosis 

means, and learn what it means for their health and their lives. 

People with kidney disease can and should continue to live 

their lives in a normal way: working, enjoying friends and 

family, and staying active. They also need to make some 

changes. This brochure will help answer some of the questions 

they might have.

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Planning

Tips

Planning Tip 1. | Create a 

family history health chart. 

A Web-based tool for making 

a family health portrait can be 

found at familyhistory.hhs.gov. 

Planning Tip 2. | Develop a 

Family Reunion Facebook 

page and help family members 

stay in touch throughout the 

year. Share suggestions and 

words of encouragement about 

living healthier.

Planning Tip 3. | Encourage 

those who are members 

of a faith family to share 

kidney health information 

by conducting a Kidney 

Sundays session at their place 

of worship. Visit nkdep.nih.gov/

get-involved.shtmlto learn more.

Planning Tip 4. | Know your 

numbers. Arrange to have 

health professionals check 

blood pressure at your reunion.

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Planning

Tips(Continued)

Planning Tip 5. | Share food 

substitutions and healthconscious meal information

with your family. Visit the online 

Resource Center to download 

the healthy food tips fact sheet 

(nkdep.nih.gov/resources.shtml).

Planning Tip 6. | Find additional 

information on kidney health 

at nkdep.nih.gov. Register for 

our e-newsletter for monthly tips 

to share with your loved ones.

Planning Tip 7. | Get the 

younger generation involved. 

Ask for their help to encourage 

older adults to adjust treasured 

family recipes with healthier 

food substitutions.

Planning Tip 8. | Inspire others. 

Share your family’s story on the 

Make the Kidney Connection 

Facebook page (facebook.com/

makethekidneyconnection).

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The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) 

encourages people to get tested for kidney disease and educates 

those with kidney disease and their health care providers about 

treatments that can help delay or prevent kidney failure. 

NKDEP is a program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH . . . Turning Discovery Into Health®

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Participants in clinical trials can play a more active role in their own health care, gain 

access to new research treatments before they are widely available, and help others 

by contributing to medical research. For more information, visit nkdep.nih.gov/getinvolved/talk-with-family.shtm.

The National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) encourages people to get tested 

for kidney disease and educates those with kidney disease and their health care providers 

about treatments that can help delay or prevent kidney failure. NKDEP is a program of the 

National Institutes of Health (NIH).

NIH . . . Turning Discovery Into Health®

NIH Publication No. 12-5754 • May 2012

U.S. Department of Health 

and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

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