this booklet has been devised to help members attending an ... · this booklet has been devised to...
TRANSCRIPT
Muscular Dystrophy Ireland Muscular Dystrophy Ireland
Holiday Booklet for Members Holiday Booklet for Members Holiday Booklet for Members
This booklet has been devised to help
members attending an MDI holiday
Overview:
This booklet has been devised to help mem-
bers attending a holiday. Throughout the
year MDI organises 3 week long breaks for
adult members. The groups are generally
split in accordance of ages.
Group 1: 26 –49yrs
Group 2: Over 50 years
Group 3: 18- 25 years Please see Expression of Interest form for specific dates:
The Accommodation: Kilcuan Lodge: Run by the Irish Pilgrim
Trust in Clarinbridge, Co. Galway.
The Lodge is situated on a quiet road sur-
rounded by woods, it is very tranquil. It is
due to the woods that mobile phone recep-
tion is not great. There is a public phone
(Tel:091 796917) which people can ring.
The centre has a living room style area with
a flat screen TV, tables that are big enough
for meal times and activities, a kitchenette
and is very spacious. It is very homely, the
centre is always warm and has underfloor
heating. There is a separate well-serviced
kitchen and we buy food for breakfasts,
lunches and snacks.
There are 16 bedrooms. All rooms are en-
suite and accessible. Please note that mem-
bers or staff
will not have
keys for
their rooms.
There are 2
e l e c t r i c
beds and
MDI often
bring 2 more that are assembled on site.
There is no shortage of pillows, sheets, blan-
kets etc. Laundry facilities are limited so it is
advised to pack enough clothes for the
week.
You can get more information on the lodge by visiting www.irishpilgrimagetrust.com
There will not be any other groups staying at
the same time as we are there.
Clarenbridge is a small village with a PO,
primary school, church, pharmacy, hair-
dresser and a doctors surgery. Claren-
bridge is a short drive to Oranmore and
about 25 minutes into Galway (depending on
traffic).
Please remember to pack towels, as they
are not provided at the lodge.
Food:
Please ensure to inform MDI if you have
any special dietary requirements.
For breakfast there are the usual suspects -
cereals (weetabix, cornflakes, rice krispies,
coco pops, porridge, cheerios), fruit, yo-
gurts, toast, scrambled eggs, scones etc.
We would normally have lunch at the centre
– sandwiches, wraps, bagels, omelettes or
crackers. If you are heading out for an activ-
ity we will bring a packed lunch with us or
eat out – if this is the case the cost will be
covered by MDI.
In general we have our evening meals in Kil-
cuan Lodge. Usually there is a pizza night
and a Chinese night. On the other evenings
caterers cook the evening meal. There are
two choices and we check early in the day
that there is something everyone likes and if
not we organise an alternative for them.
Common choices include – chicken curry,
spaghetti bolognaise, lasagne, roast chick-
en, homemade burgers, and cod. Sides in-
clude wedges, chips, rice, baked potatoes
and salad.
Equipment:
As already mentioned there are 2 electric
beds in the centre and MDI brings 2 more.
If you need one of these beds it must be
specified on their application form. MDI al-
so brings hoists, toilet chairs and shower
chairs, bed levers, bed sides and sliding
sheets. Some members do bring their own
shower chairs and mattresses and this is
perfectly ok but please do inform us if this is
the case so as there will be enough room on
the bus. We encourage members to bring
their own slings, labelled, MDI do have
some but it is better for the member to have
their own. Should you require anything
more regarding equipment you should con-
tact the camp co-ordinator.
Staff:
Staff include youth & respite workers, nurs-
es, PAs and MDI’s bus drivers. All staff are
Garda vetted and core staff are trained in
patient lifting, first aid and children first.
Many of the PA’s and nurses work with MDI
throughout the year and are familiar with
the needs of our members. New staff will
be paired up with experienced staff. On
camps staff work in pairs and normally look
after 2 members. These pairings are for as-
sisting members to get up in the morning
and to go to bed at night. Members can ask
any member of staff to help them through-
out the day – mealtimes, toileting etc. There
will always be two night staff minimum, 1
nurse and 1 PA. They are to help with night
turning and toileting. It is the same 2 staff
that work nights for the week.
There is a nurse on duty during the day as
well. If anyone has dressings or other medi-
cal needs he/she will take care of them if
required.
Activities:
Outings are usu-
ally organised
before camp
takes place and
closer to the time
you will receive
a letter from the
ho l i day co -
ordinator inform-
ing you of activi-
ties booked.
You can expect
shopping, cinema, bowling and swimming.
Other common activities may also include
fishing, visits to local tourists and historical
sites, trip to Salthill, greyhound racing,
pubs etc.
Transport: You will be informed about meeting points
and times closer to the holiday. We cannot
pick members up at their homes as this
would make the journey time to Claren-
bridge too long. The same meeting points
are usually used for the return journey.
FAQ:
How will I let the night staff know if I
need assistance at night?
MDI provide members who require assis-
tance at night with bell pushers to alert
night staff. Each member will have their
‘own tune’ so staff will know immediately
who needs them.
How much money should I bring?
MDI covers the cost of accommodation,
food, entrance fees to activities eg cinema
tickets, transport and staff. On the cinema
outing MDI will cover the cost of the ticket, a
small drink and popcorn. If the member
wants anything extra they will have to pay
for this themselves. If members are re-
quired to make a contribution to an activity
you will be informed before camp. This is
not very often and no one has to take part if
they do not want to. Members usually do
bring money to go shopping with and buy
extras – eg if we go down to the village shop
you might want to buy souvenirs etc. MDI is
not responsible for money a member brings
on camp and they are expected to take re-
sponsibility for it themselves.
Can I have a room on my own?
There are 16 rooms at the centre. Three of
these are single rooms. We usually try to
give the night staff a room each as they
need to sleep during the day and two of
these rooms are far away from the living ar-
ea. The third single room is near the top of
the corridor. This room has a carpet in it
(none of the other rooms do) making it un-
suitable for the use of a hoist. This room will
be assigned to a member we feel it is ap-
propriate for. The other rooms are spacious
with separate wardrobe space and a locker
for each member.
Items to pack:
• Suitable outer wear for Irish weather
• Plenty of towels – especially if you want
to go swimming
• Swim wear
• Toiletries - Shower gel, face
cloth/sponge, toothbrush and toothpaste,
hairbrush, shampoo and conditioner,
hair gel
• Sling if applicable
• Urinal if applicable
• Charger for chair, with your name on it, if
applicable
• Phone charger
• Any sleep system you use – special cush-
ions etc
• Medications
• Enough underwear for the week
• Incontinence pads if applicable
Please note:
MDI cannot be responsible for any electri-
cal equipment you bring with you e.g. mo-
bile phones, laptops, Ipods, etc. If you
bring these, you will be responsible for
them and we can only advise to have your
name clearly visible on such items.
We hope that the information contained in
this booklet has been helpful. It you have
any more questions/queries please do not
hesitate to contact your Youth Respite
Worker or the holiday co-ordinator.
Muscular Dystrophy Ireland
75 Lucan Road
Chapelizod
Dublin 20
Tel: (01) 6236414
Fax: (01) 6208663
Website: www.mdi.ie