Our mission is to create a clean environment close to the sea in a woodland setting, where CF patients and their families can come and spend time together at a time when the patient may require supervision but not the full extent of hospitalisation. The Centre will encourage rest, respite, recovery, mindfulness, exercise and physiotherapy, all under the watchful eye of a medical team but not in the confines of a hospital.

Our Goals


Accommodation Facility for Families

Our mission is to develop an accommodation facility in Dublin where a family member can stay, whilst their loved one is receiving treatment in hospital. It is usual for CF patients to be hospitalised for extended periods. This means many Irish families are doing a roundtrip, daily commute from all over Ireland to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin- The National Referral Hospital for Cystic Fibrosis and other Dublin hospitals.

This is a crucial facility for parents, spouses, siblings and the children of the CF patient, at a most vulnerable time of stress and worry. This accommodation will allow the family member to be close to the hospital, enabling them to spend precious quality time with their families.

JBCFF House will be a 10 bedroom, en-suite guesthouse, located within a 7 – minute drive of the hospital with its own serenity garden. The interiors and ambience will be relaxed and welcoming, with warm tones and a holistic feel.

The house will have a full-time manager, who will be responsible for the upkeep of the property. The manager will liaise with the hospital, via an established referral system, providing peace of mind for those seeking accommodation. The property will also feature a reading and relaxation room, where guests can unwind after long, stressful days at the hospital.

Wellness/Respite Facility

The Wellness Respite Retreat will be a state of the art, medically equipped retreat. It aims to provide a new lease life for patients in their treatment and recovery from Cystic Fibrosis. Ideally, the Retreat will be located close to the sea. The influence of salt water in the air, coupled with tranquil, outdoor garden space has been proven to provide multiple benefits for CF patients. The Retreat will create an atmosphere that allows patients and guests to breathe deeply, safely and easily.

The Retreat will consist of two-three bedroomed units. Each will be custom-built to a high medical specification to prevent cross-contamination. Each unit will consist of a main bedroom en-suite for patients and an additional bedroom for family and nurses/ carers, with an open plan living and dining area, kitchen facilities and a further main bathroom.

Each unit will be specifically fitted out to cater for CF patients, including wheelchair access and will have a natural holistic feel in design where patients and their families can feel safe and relaxed, thus expediting the recovery process. It will be a home away from home.

The main reception house will host the main treatment centre, where a range of
holistic services will be offered. These will include massage, reiki, reflexology, mindfulness, yoga and relaxation techniques. In addition, there will be CF-specific nutritional fitness training and physiotherapy.

It has been scientifically proven that holistic therapies can significantly increase the speed of recovery for a patient, with enormous benefit to their physical and mental wellbeing whilst in hospital. Giving CF patients direct access to these services will have significant benefits.

The main reception will house appropriately qualified medical staff to assist patients with treatments. The reception staff will also arrange transport and satellite services between the hospital.

After extensive research, scientists have unanimously agreed that sea air and
tranquil gardens can indeed promote healing. There is strong evidence that it can reduce levels of pain and stress. In so doing, boosting the immune system and promoting healing.

For some, the retreat will be the last time they spend with their loved ones.
Therefore, the development of this retreat is critical for thousands of CF patients across Ireland. It aims to bring peace, tranquility and dignity to those spending precious final weeks together. Simultaneously it aims to provide hope and strength to those who continue to battle against the condition.

We at the Julian Benson Foundation are passionate and dedicated about making this vision a reality. We believe that CF sufferers and their families deserve the best of medical care and complimentary therapeutic treatments possible. Ireland’s first dedicated Wellness Respite Retreat for Cystic Fibrosis patients and their families will deliver this much needed service.

Referrals


We are currently working with healthcare specialists in CF units to create a referral system for our services.

Our respite facility is a longer term goal, which we are currently fundraising for.

Should you require assistance before then, please follow one of the following:

Contact us directly via our office or speak to your hospital social worker or family assistance representative and ask for information on the Julian Benson Foundation.  They can contact us on your behalf.