Frequently Asked Questions

Respite care is a short-term break. For the person staying with us it is a chance to get away from the day-to-day routine, try new things and have time to themselves. For a family carer it is planned, professional cover so they can rest, work or attend to other things, knowing their loved one is supported.

Montbretia House is in Ballywiheen, Ballyferriter, Co. Kerry, V92 Y406 — on the Dingle Peninsula, in the heart of Corca Dhuibhne.

We support adults aged 18 to 64, women and men, who have a primary disability or dementia, who live in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, and who have a medical assessment of needs.

A maximum of six. We have six en-suite bedrooms, and our registration allows six people to be accommodated at any one time.

Most guests come for a week, arriving on a Monday and leaving the following Sunday morning. Longer stays are possible as a resident. The centre is open all year, 24 hours a day.

Respite services like ours are regulated by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), which registers and inspects designated centres for adults with disabilities. Our application to register Montbretia House as a designated centre is in progress, and we are preparing the service to meet the Health Act 2007 regulations and the national standards in full. Once registration is granted, our entry and inspection reports will be published on hiqa.ie and we will link to them from this page. If you would like to know where the application stands, ring us and ask — we will tell you plainly.

We do not employ a resident doctor. Our team is made up of social care workers and care assistants, and our staff nurse is also our Clinical and Compliance Manager. If you become unwell, we contact your GP with your consent, and there are clear arrangements for out-of-hours and emergency care.

You can refer yourself, a family member can refer you, or a referral can come from any member of a multi-disciplinary team. A self-referral form is completed and, where it applies, goes to the HSE Respite Support Forum for approval. If the HSE refuses an application, you have the right to appeal.

The Person in Charge or the social care team lead invites you to visit. You will be asked about your general health and wellbeing, your medical and surgical history, how your medication is managed, the support you receive at home, and any equipment you use. With your consent we may speak to other healthcare professionals or family members. If a risk is identified — difficulty swallowing, or a risk of falls, for example — we may ask for a speech and language therapy or occupational therapy review first.

Yes. Applications must be made before your 64th birthday. We cannot accept referrals after that age.

The contract for the provision of service, the cancellation and refund policy, a pre-assessment person-centred plan, a medication kardex for your GP to complete, consent forms, an infection prevention and control questionnaire, and a checklist of suggested items to bring.

Yes. Before your first overnight stay we invite you for a meet and greet, usually arranged when other guests are out, so that their privacy is respected. You get a guided tour and a chance to ask questions.

Yes. We keep a bedroom for emergency respite, allocated when it is free and based on the needs of the person requiring urgent support. The decision is made jointly by the Person in Charge and the HSE representative requesting the placement.

In a national or international emergency, or a pandemic, we may have to suspend the residential respite service for a time. We follow the guidance of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the HSE in those situations.

Six bedrooms, all with en-suite, named after local West Kerry trees: Hazel, Elm, Ash, Beech, Oak and Willow. The Willow Room also has its own kitchen and private living room. You choose your room, and if it is free you can have the same one when you return.

A communal lounge with a smart TV, a dining room for meeting family and friends or for quiet time, a food pantry and communal kitchen, and a laundry room. The Person in Charge’s office is at the rear of the house if you want to discuss anything privately. Our staff use the dining and kitchen area during breaks and handovers, and we ask that those breaks are respected.

No. You lead the service. Your person-centred plan sets out when you like to get up and go to bed, what you like to eat, the personal care support you want, and what you would like to do. Staff work to that plan, and you can change any part of it at any time.

A mix of social care workers and care assistants, with one acting as team lead. During the night there are two staff on duty: one awake for 12 hours, and one on sleep-over or on-call duty.

Breakfast, dinner and evening meals are provided, and you are welcome to help prepare them if you enjoy cooking. Special diets and religious requirements are catered for, with menu orders placed a day in advance. You can also order a takeaway, or buy and cook your own food at your own expense, and keep a cupboard and a fridge shelf in the pantry for your own supplies.

Yes, there is a laundry room with a washing machine and tumble dryer. If you choose to launder your own clothes, we ask that you accept we cannot be held responsible for accidental damage that happens in the process.

Guest Wi-Fi covers the property. The lounge has a smart TV with the usual channels plus Netflix and YouTube, and a CD player. We also have iPads set up for Skype and Zoom calls, with accessible features for anyone with a visual impairment, and an adapted phone for texting and WhatsApp video calls. Anything you bring is recorded on your inventory when you arrive.

Yes — a wheelchair-accessible sensory garden with quiet areas and pathways, bird feeders, a pond with goldfish and golden orfe, and raised planters you are welcome to plant and tend.

No. The centre is non-smoking throughout, and that includes vapes and e-cigarettes.

Support with any activity of daily living you need: getting up, dressing, washing, bathing and toileting; mobility and your aids and equipment; beds, tidying, light cleaning and laundry; preparing and serving meals and help with eating; and company and conversation, including going out socially. Staff can also help you manage money during your stay, recording and receipting anything handled on your behalf, and act as your advocate when dealing with others.

Yes — we support you to self-medicate. Medication must arrive in a blister pack or a clearly labelled container with clear dosing instructions. It is kept in a fixed cabinet fitted discreetly in your wardrobe or similar, with the team lead holding the key or code, and everything administered or declined is recorded. The Person in Charge goes through your medication with you before every stay.

With your consent we contact your GP for an assessment. If your doctor advises being seen in person at Dingle Medical Centre, we arrange transport and collect any prescription. After 5pm you may be brought to SouthDoc. If your health declines or you become acutely ill, you will be brought to the casualty department at University Hospital Kerry by ambulance, your next of kin will be contacted, and your stay with us will end at that point.

A casualty visit costs €100 for people without a medical card, invoiced to you by the hospital by post. If you have been referred by your GP or SouthDoc, there is no charge.

Yes. Staff will support you to attend doctor, dentist and optician appointments that fall during your respite. Bring your medical card details. Private consultant fees are paid by you on the day. The Person in Charge can also make referrals on your behalf for follow-up support.

Bring it, and tell us in advance. Staff can assist with night-time breathing equipment such as CPAP, and knowing beforehand means your room is ready.

Before any trip or activity we carry out a risk assessment, looking at risks such as falls, choking and fire, so that the right measures are in place beforehand. You will also discuss and rehearse a Personal Emergency Egress Plan with staff, so you know how to leave the building safely in a fire or other emergency.

On site: board games, cards, chess, a games console, boccia, skittles and balloon games, the sensory garden and the lounge TV. Out and about: boat trips from Dingle, the hydrotherapy pool in Tralee, the local library, book clubs, swimming clubs, gyms, nature programmes, coffee mornings, and shopping trips to Tralee and Killarney. At the start of each week everyone staying meets to plan the week together.

A short scenic cruise around Dingle harbour and bay is about €15 per adult. The three-hour Blasket Island eco tour is €45 to €60. A two-hour deep-sea fishing trip is €35 to €45. All are paid directly to the boat’s captain on the day. Bingo sheets cost €2.50 in a local shop.

Yes. The hydrotherapy pool at Munster Technological University’s north campus in Tralee is 12m by 6m, heated to 32–33.5°C, with a shallow stepped entrance, a pool chair hoist and a ceiling hoist. Sessions are €10 pay as you go, or €43 for a pass of five 45-minute sessions, paid by card.

Not at present. Where transport is arranged with local providers, the cost is met by you and agreed in advance so you can make an informed choice. Local Link buses and accessible taxis serve the area, Tralee has a train station, and CIE and Local Link accessible buses leave Dingle three to four times daily. Timetables and local charges are on the notice board in the house.

We link in on your behalf with Enable Ireland, the MTU Sports Inclusion Disability Programme and the Irish Wheelchair Association, at no extra cost. For study, we can link with the Adult Education Department at MTU in Tralee and support longer-stay guests with coursework. For work, we can contact Employability Services in Dingle and Tralee and arrange a meeting with an employment officer if your stay is extended.

Yes. We respect each person’s religious preferences and can support you to take part in services and activities of your choosing. A list of local services is posted on our notice board, for attending in person or online.

Any additional service you choose during your stay. That includes transport arranged with local providers, outings and trips, takeaways or food you buy yourself, hairdressing, beauty treatments, massage therapy and chiropody. Each is agreed with you in advance.

Staff can help with washing, drying and styling your hair. A professional hairdresser or barber can visit the centre at local rates, subject to availability, or we can arrange transport to your own salon. Basic nail painting and make-up are available in house from our staff, and we can arrange external appointments for professional treatments. Massage therapy can be arranged with local providers, and on-site chiropody runs when enough people book. Professional treatments are paid by you, usually directly to the practitioner on the day.

Bookings made through our online system need either a deposit or payment in full at the time of booking. A deposit secures your dates; paying in full also confirms the booking. Where a deposit is paid, the balance is due no later than 14 days before your admission date unless we agree otherwise in writing. Payments are processed securely online, and a booking may be cancelled if payment is not received in time. All payments are subject to our cancellation and refund policy, which is included in your pack.

Yes, for outings, treatments and anything you buy yourself. Staff can help you manage and record spending during your stay if you would like that support.

Yes. We have an open-door policy, and we simply ask for advance notice so we can let other guests know visitors are coming. Family and friends are welcome to join us at mealtimes. We ask visitors to respect everyone else staying at the time.

Ring us on (066) 912 9000 before you come, so we can let other guests know and tell you about any health or infection-control guidance that applies at the time.

Tradespeople attending to maintenance such as plumbing and electrical work, and inspectors checking that we comply with legislation and the national standards.

The Board of Directors is David Pigott and Margaret Sauerland, together with our staff nurse and Clinical and Compliance Manager, Sinead O’Connell. The Person in Charge is David Pigott (BA Social Care), who oversees the care team and day-to-day governance.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Information is collected, stored and used only as far as needed to deliver safe and effective care, access is restricted to authorised staff on a need-to-know basis, and anything you share about your likes, fears and goals is treated confidentially and shared only with your consent.

Verbally to any staff member, in writing on our complaints form, by email or phone to the management team, or through an advocacy service or HSE representative if you would like support. Forms are available at the centre and in each resident’s care folder. The social care team lead on duty oversees complaints; if they are absent, the Person in Charge, the Clinical and Compliance Manager or a senior staff member takes over.

We acknowledge every complaint within 5 working days and investigate it thoroughly. You are told the outcome and what action has been taken. If you are not satisfied, you can appeal: the matter is reviewed by senior management and, if necessary, goes to external mediation. Confidentiality is maintained throughout, and we use what we learn to improve the service, our training and our policies.

That you treat staff and other guests with dignity and respect, tell us about any medical issues before you arrive, take part in your person-centred plan and the weekly planning meeting, keep to the no-smoking policy, and rehearse your emergency exit plan. Serious misconduct — violence, abusive language, bullying or harassment, gross negligence with medication, or disregard for safety — can lead to a warning or, in serious cases, to your stay ending.