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Enjoy a break with peace of mind
IKA Holiday Homes
The Irish Kidney Association has three Holiday Homes in Ireland which are available, free of charge, for transplant and dialysis patients to use.
Tramore Apartments, Waterford
6-night holiday breaks
Tralee Holiday Home, Kerry
6-night holiday break
Killarney Holiday Home, Kerry
6-night holiday break
Dialysis Abroad
The Irish Kidney Association provides a service for Irish dialysis patients looking to holiday abroad. Please contact us about arranging dialysis BEFORE booking your holiday. Please give at least 6-8 weeks notice as our holiday booking service is extremely busy.
Patient Holidays Team
Deborah Cervi
Patient Holidays Co-ordinator
Patient Holidays
Frequently Asked Questions
Fill out the online form with your preferred dates and location. Yearly we receive a high volume of enquiries, but we will be in touch to advise on availability or waiting list details.
Given there is likely to be more demand than properties available, accommodation is allocated based on:
If still over booked, random number allocation will apply.
Felixibility on time and location increases availability.
Cancellation list will be maintained.
The Irish Kidney Association has three holiday homes in Ireland which are available, free of charge, for transplant and dialysis patients to use.
At present all holidays homes are for a 6 night stay only.
Holiday homes are for the patient and their family. The number of people that can stay in each home is listed in the description for each property.
Unfortunately we can’t permit pets of any kind.
If you are on Haemodialysis (HD) our Holiday Coordinator will help you to book dialysis sessions near to the holiday home. If you are on Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), speak with your PD nurse about arranging for supplies to be delivered to the holiday home for you – you will need to bring your PD machine with you. All homes are supplied with drip stands, stainless steel trolleys and weighing scales for PD.
Once you have submitted your holiday enquiry and given consent for the information to be shared with our Patient Support Officer, it will be assessed for financial support. Our Patient Support Officer will contact you separately regarding this.
Our wheelchair accessible homes are:
Facilities provided in all our homes:
The linen for the beds will be supplied but we would ask you if you are bringing children to kindly bring some protection for the mattress.
A special trolley, drip stand, and bathroom scales are available for PD patients.
Please bring your own:
Please DO NOT book a holiday or flights before making arrangements for your dialysis treatment abroad. Complete the online form or ask a member of staff in your dialysis unit to complete the form on your behalf. We will begin working on your request. It can take time to receive confirmation from dialysis units abroad, but we will be in touch with you as quick as we can to confirm. Patients need to give at least a minimum of 6-8 weeks notice for holiday treatments abroad.
The basic information needed to proceed with the booking of a patient’s request is the following:
We will also need information on where you usually attend dialysis so we can contact them and start the booking process for your holiday.
The following documentation is required from your dialysis unit in order to confirm the dialysis sessions:
You can travel almost anywhere in the world, depending on the availability of dialysis appointments in the nearest unit. Once you have a destination in mind, our holiday dialysis co-ordinator will be happy to assist and advise on the units in that area.
We offer our patients consistently high standards in any of the worldwide dialysis clinics. We assess them yearly, making sure they meet the same standards as where you dialyse here in Ireland.
We offer our patients consistently high standards in any of the worldwide dialysis clinics. We assess them yearly, making sure they meet the same standards as where you dialyse here in Ireland.
It is best to wait until you have received a dialysis booking confirmation from our co-ordinator before confirming flights or putting a deposit on your holiday. We will do a thorough search of all hospitals in the area you are travelling to, but since the Covid-19 pandemic some hospitals have less capacity. We will do our best for alternative options if your chosen location is not available. You will need to give the IKA at least a minimum 6-8 weeks notice for your holiday treatment abroad.
Once you give consent on the application form, this allows us to safely communicate all your paper work from one hospital to another. We have years of experience and all your information is kept confidential.
All hospitals have taken extra precautions since the Covid-19 pandemic to ensure everyone is kept as safe as possible. There are a few further tests required before travelling, such as a PCR test which must be taken 72 hours prior to your flight departure. We will be sure to inform you of what is required along the way and before you travel.
We suggest speaking with a representative for Travel Insurance to make sure you are fully covered for your upcoming trip. We have found the below travel insurance companies useful for some of our previous patients: www.justcover.ie Tel: 01 440 4367 Insure & Go www.insureandgo.ie Tel: 1850 224 225 www.goodtogoinsurance.eu Tel: +32 (2) 881 0125
For most destinations you will need to make your own arrangements to/from the hospital for your dialysis times. Destinations that do offer transport will be in touch directly with you prior to your arrival, and will discuss pick up times with you.
Contact the Baxter Renal Homecare Team to make arrangements for deliveries of PD supplies abroad: 01 206 5522.
Yes, if you are on the waiting list for a transplant, you should let the team know that you will be abroad. This will ‘pause’ you on the list whilst you are away, as you wouldn’t be available to recieve the transplant. Remember to let them know as soon as you return.
Make A Contribution
The Irish Kidney Association relies on contributions to deliver vital services for kidney patients and their families. If you would like to make a contribution, it would be greatly appreciated.