Now is the time when many of us turn our thoughts towards holidays. If we are fit and healthy, it’s easy to choose a holiday destination, but if you have mobility issues, live alone or are a carer, there’s so much more to think about.
If you, or the person you care for, has health issues, it’s important to thoroughly research the venue to make sure that facilities are suitable.
More related articles:
Many specialist websites offer tailor-made holidays for less-able people and it’s possible to hire specialist equipment in many holiday resorts. Help is available at airports and on trains but it is essential to book in advance. Planning ahead is the key to a relaxing break.
Booking a holiday alone for the first time after losing a loved one can be very daunting, but many people do travel alone and enjoy it.
Cruises are popular with single travellers as they offer a feeling of security, with baggage taken directly to your cabin and there is always the opportunity to sit with other single travellers at mealtimes if you wish.
Trusted places to find holidays suitable for carers, people living alone and those with mobility issues
✔ Age UK’s Silver Travel Advisor is a free service which offers advice for the over-50s. The award-winning travel reviews website offers a great variety of holidays whether you’re a solo traveller or going with a friend. Call 01753 740169 or visit www.silvertraveladvisor.com
✔ Enable Holidays has a wide selection of holidays for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility or slow walkers. They offer group holidays and tours to exotic places, plus accessible villas, hotels and apartments. Call 0871 222 4939 or visit www.enableholidays.com
✔ Revitalise holidays has three hotels in Essex, Southport and Southampton and offers the perfect solution for both carers and the cared for. The centres have qualified carers on-site so the carer can have a break too. Many of the breaks are tailored to certain types of condition, including special weeks for people with dementia. Call 0303 303 0145 or visit www.revitalise.org.uk
✔ Find a tailor-made holiday that takes your mobility into account withLimitless Travel. It offers coach tours in vehicles with wheelchair lifts, fully qualified care staff and specially adapted rooms. Call 0800 711 7232 or visit www.limitlesstravel.org
✔ Holidays can be difficult for people living with dementia, but small group supported holidays are available with Dementia Adventure. Call 01245 237548 or visit www.dementiaadventure.co.uk
✔ Tourism for All has a website dedicated to making travel accessible to everyone. Its website www.tourismforall.co.uk has details of the most accessible places to visit and stay in the UK.
✔ Carers needing a respite break should contact their local social services department for an assessment of their needs. The charity, Turn2us (www.turn2us.org.uk), can also help to find grants for people who need respite care but can’t afford it.
No need to be lonely with Yours!
Join our Carers in Touch and Forget Me Not groups and you’ll find a whole new world of friendly support.
Loneliness is something that can happen to anyone at any time. You don’t have to live alone to be lonely and you don’t have to be old. You might be lonely as a carer or you might have recently lost a loved one. Maybe you just live alone and don’t have anyone to talk to?
There are more than six million carers in the UK – Yours supports carers and anyone who has lost a loved one.
Thousands of readers belong to the Carers in Touch and the Forget Me Not groups and many of them have made life-long friendships. Both services are free and some members write to one another, others are in touch by email or phone. Some meet for coffee, some go on holiday.
The groups have been running for many years now and offer a lifeline to anyone who would like to make some new friends. Lists of new members are sent out to existing members every two months along with a newsletter including letters, information and poems.
Yours Reader Care Editor, Rosie Sandall, who runs the groups says: “Yours is the only magazine which regularly supports carers and those who have lost a loved one. The Carers in Touch and the Forget Me Not groups provide friendship and support. You can be sure of a warm welcome from people who really understand how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you!”
Pick up a copy of Yours to find out more about how you can join the Carers in Touch or Forget Me Not Group.