Planning a holiday?
Hope KPA’s caravan
The caravan is situated in Staining (at Newton Hall Caravan Park), a Lancashire village 3-4 miles from Blackpool. It will be open for business from the beginning of March; many people enjoyed a break there last year. The accommodation is luxuriously furnished and equipped with central heating, double glazing, 3 bedrooms (sleeping 6-8 people) and 2 bathrooms (one with shower) as well as having lovely countryside views. There is a fully fitted kitchen with fridge and microwave and the lounge/diner has a put-u-up sofa and multi-channel tv/dvd. For those less firm the entrance is enhanced by a ramp and there is an electrically powered mobility scooter available for use. Outside there is a lawned area and patio. Booking is essential, contact Committee Member, Ann Hunt on 07769 713087, who will be happy provide you with availability and booking form. Alternatively, you can send a question using the contact form.
Cruise holiday
http://www.dialysisholidays.co.uk/
http://www.dialysiswhilecruising.com/
http://www.dialysis-cruises.com/
http://www.cruises.co.uk/112-disabled_cruise_chat/9176-dialysis_sea_cruises.html
http://www.eurorivercruises.com/Destinations/Dialysis_Cruises.html
The Hope KPA cannot accept responsibility for the accuracy of information provided on these sites and would advise anyone wishing to go on a cruise to verify the facilities with the cruise line prior to booking.
Holiday experiences
Holiday in Mallorca
“Dear Readers, I was speaking to Kath Barlow a couple of months ago about the Hotel Cala Bona where we spent our holiday. The hotel is situated in an exclusive spot in the old fishing harbour of Cala Bona, Mallorca. Kath asked me to send the KPA, informa on about it as it could be useful to members who need accommodation suitable for their needs. The hotel has two apartments both of which are ideal for someone confined to a wheelchair as they have wet rooms and a shower chair in them. You can hire a hoist if needed from a company there and a taxi with a ramp. I found it worked out much cheaper than booking through a holiday company (eg we went with Monarch who were charging £408.00 for an adapted vehicle for 6 people—I booked 2 taxis cos ng £260.00!). Last year we made our booking through a company that specialises in holidays for the disabled, it le a lot to be desired, we were really disappointed. To book the hotel you have to do it direct, by phone or email. Both the hoist and the taxi can be booked via email. Below are the links for each, which I hope can be of use to anyone in the Association.”
Enjoy, Ann Lawton (Carer)
Hotel: www.calabonahotel.com Taxi: mallorcataxicar@hotmail.com
Hoist: lowerhire@hotmail.com
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Contact your local team for more information
• Join Hope Kidney Patients Association using the contact form
• Contact your Salford Royal nursing team 0161 206 1882
If you require further information, please tell us using the form below
Why are all dialysis holidays mentioned always cruises or caravans!!! I am 38, and have no desire for either. We are not all retired, and want to go on retired holidays. Please add some other choices, and information. Such as places in Europe you can go? What to do to prepare to travel? How much does insurance cost? What precautions to take? What medical equipment to take? Will I need a translator? Useful general information, for people who still want to live a life.
Hi Nicholas,
Thanks for your very valid comments. We need this feedback to make our site better to meet the needs of our renal family.
First of all I will get Insurance out of the way, as insurance is very subjective and always requires that you go through medical screening questions with whichever company you choose. Costs can vary depending on any other illness’s you have on top of your obvious pre-existing condition and that of any other family members traveling under the same policy. I have recently had a company called ‘Insurance Choice’ recommended to me and can easily be found via Google.
Generally there should be no barrier to you traveling to any EU country, but you have to bear in mind that if you are on the Transplant List, you will be suspended from that list for the duration of your vacation regardless of destination outside the UK.
I don’t know the mode of dialysis you are on so I’ll do my best to cover the basics unless you have a more specific question at a later date.
For CAPD/APD & HD patients advance notice to your local holiday co-ordinator (about 8 to 12 weeks) prior to departure about your destination, address where staying (Hotel etc). The co-ordiator will organise the nearest equivalent hospital to NHS for HD patients so they can fully cover the costs of treatment within the EU. Private hospitals will require that you pay the costs over and above what the cost of UK treatment is. For CAPD/APD patients, you will be advised of your nearest treatment centre to your Hotel to which your supplies of fluid will be sent. You will not always have your lines and drainage bags delivered unless there are special circumstances. For APD patients, I’m afraid that you have to take your machine with you in its transit case as part of your luggage. You will also have to take all the dressings, connectors required for your holiday. Oh and don’t forget your BP meter, scales etc.
English tends to be spoken in most EU countries, but by the younger community in general, however if you carry a copy of the appropriate Berlitz phrase book for the country(s) of travel then you’ll do okay without the need for a translator. You’ll be speaking like a native by the time you’re ready to come home, but it’s always useful for future.
visits.
Always carry copies of your prescription list with you in case you need to be treated in an emergency (several photocopies are handy so the physician can pin them to his notes and saves a lot of time and your memory. I tried to be smart by having everything on a memory stick only to find that the doctors computer was protected against external devices. thankfully I had the paper copies as a backup. If you do decide to take a river cruise, then your European Insurance card DOES NOT provide cover as you are not deemed to be within the realms of the country through which you are traveling as you are not on their land, so extra insurance is vital!
Getting away from the medical stuff. If you fancy a touring holiday by car, I would always recommend hiring a left hand drive. It makes life so much simpler and safer once you have mastered the art of not smashing your left hand in the drivers door to change gear and reduces the risk of your passengers unexpected underwear changes when trying to overtake.
I apologise if I haven’t covered all of your queries, but If I have helped in some way please reply with your comments and we’ll do our best to incorporate this and any other information on the site. Your feedback is vital. Thanks
What
I would like to tell you about my holiday in benidorm . I went there in June was very nice and red hot. I stayed at the prince park hotel which is next to the hospital . It is called clinico and my time there was very good I would recommend to anyone who wishes to dialysis there .the only down side was the hotel is on a hill and walking back in the hot weather was hard work but overhaul every thing was good .food was ok in the hotel we went half board .benidorm is a lovely place something for every one
Hi buzzy bee sounds good I will be grateful if you could help me to book this holiday I am planning to go in summer
Nicholas, there a a great number of Dialysis holidays available throughout Europe, some places you will have to pay for treatment but plenty are free. I have been to Tenerife although this was many years ago. I am planning and going again this year.
The problem i have found with insurance, and a lot of people don’t realise, is that they do not cover waiting lists. Basically you need to declare ALL pre-existing conditions as well as your current CKD status, be it Dialysis or Transplant whatever. What i mean by waiting list cover is, even though you are suspended from the Transplant List whilst actually on holiday, you are still active up to the day of departure. So if you were to receive a Transplant before travel but after paying for your holiday and then had to cancel, they will not refund your holiday. I have emailed and spoke on the phone to quite a number of companies and all bar one have said the same. The reason being is it is a forseeable reason. Even though the odds are long, you know it can happen. The one company that does cover is “All Clear” BUT it is an added premium. My insurance for a week in Tenerife with my wife and son, with all my medical conditions declared (there are a few) was quoted at £243. With waiting list cover this rose to £686 with a £250 excess. Obviously each premium is based on the individual. The only choices i have left are either. 1) Take the risk on losing the money if a Transplant came up, or 2) Suspend myself from the waiting list once i book my holiday. Some people have said this is not an option and i must be mad, but i have already had 3 previous Transplants and numerous infections and blood transfussions, so have a high antibody level. Soi am under no illusions that i could be waiting a long time for another Kidney to come available. Also if i do suspend myself, it would only be for a couple of months and i would never know if i may of got one. It may seem a bit rash to some, but when you have had the illness all your life and have had a lot of problems in the last few years, it is a viable option.
Peritoneal Dialysis appears to be the ‘poor relation’. It seems to be omitted in conferences, questionnaires and forums. When it is mentioned, for some reason, it is often linked with Haemodialysis (which is completely different). As regards holidays for people on Peritoneal Dialysis, we want clean, hygeinic, germ free, pet free rooms in which to set up our machines and somewhere to store, away from direct heat, the dialysis fluid boxes. If anyone has any recommendations, that would be very helpful. For those who are not aware, Peritoneal Dialysis must take place every day (usually night time) for at least 8 hours.