Chapter thirty-four
HOLIDAYS
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Chapter thirty-fourHOLIDAYS |
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Note: This is the original text of the chapter in the 1992 book and it has not been updated. Page numbers refer to pages in the book.
Other holidays for not-too-disabled YPAs
Holidays for more disabled YPAs
Holidays on the ocean wave
Visiting London
Single-parent family holidays
Further general information
Financial help
Special needs while away
Nowadays there are all sorts of holidays to choose from, even if you have got arthritis dogging your steps. A good holiday will refresh you inside and out, recharging your batteries, so you return to everyday humdrum with renewed mental and physical vigour, and with plenty to chat about to anyone who'll listen! It's also something to look forward to, and back on – with pleasure, ideally!
Arthritis-problems can usually be overcome, be they great or be they small; it's a question of gathering plenty of information, being realistic, and forward planning. I'll give you a few ideas; up to you then to work out what's best for you. Cans and can't-dos vary so much from person to person.
A favourite with under-45 YPAs are the Young Arthritis Care holidays. Because they're specially for YPAs (friends/family too) you can more or less ignore the arthritis and get on gleefully with other things. "We just didn't have time to feel arthritic, there was so much to do", enthused one YPA after an action-packed holiday in Blackpool. Young Arthritis Care's regular holidays at the Kielder Adventure Centre in Northumberland certainly don't give anyone the chance to blame arthritis for not being able to do something they've always yearned to do. Janet Flower raved about her stay at Kielder:
"Where to begin?… The exciting choice of activities? The idyllic scenery? The terrific instructors, friendly companions, the outings? …An unforgettable week… Each day there's a choice of activities – eg sailing, horse-riding, archery, fishing, canoeing, abseiling, orienteering, swimming – which you can usually choose two each day, with a break between for lunch. Or if you prefer you can potter around and relax – there's no compulsion to do any unless you want to.
"…I found it a good idea to do something active in the mornings and then a gentler activity in the afternoons. One of the most exhilarating activities was sailing… We spent the whole day sailing, and it was a real sense of achievement – just the elements and us, working together.
"As with all the activities, once we were helped into the boat, Dave the instructor involved us totally in handling it, telling us what things were for and some elementary principles of sailing. That's what made it so enjoyable – rather than if he did all the work. Similarly with horse-riding, you are shown how to guide and instruct the horse, and with canoeing how to stop or turn the canoe. It's fascinating learning, and gives you a real sense of achievement. It's terribly impressive when you get home too, to casually drop into conversations something about abseiling techniques, or maybe a nautical phrase you've learnt.
"…Also enjoyable… swimming in the heated pool (carpeted inside so you can't slip), archery and riding in the horse and cart. Some of the others did fishing, abseiling and shooting. Also available was bird-watching, and believe it or not, specially adapted water-skiing!
"…Even if, like me, you haven't much self-confidence, at a place like Kielder anything's possible! The staff do their utmost to help you with any of the activities you want to try and if you find it difficult or uncomfortable they come up with ideas to make things easier.
"In the evenings there was plenty to do too… pool, table-tennis, a TV/video/piano room. One night a hilarious indoor hockey match took place, on another some of us had great fun with a TV quiz game. Another night there was a party… another a meal out. One crazy evening we all set off on a Treasure Hunt in two mini-buses – it was a maniac Anneka Rice-type competition… We even found time for outings too… and just about saved enough energy for a disco on Friday night.
"…although in our group we had arthritis in common, our mobility and conditions varied considerably – some of us with artificial hips and/or knees, some using crutches, some unable to walk more than a few yards. And yet by the end of the week we'd all managed to have a go at almost all the activities on offer. Where necessary, some of us stayed in wheelchairs for some of the activities, eg abseiling, in order to ensure both safety and as little strain on grotty painful joints as possible. But much to our amazement, we did it, we really did it!" (In In Contact)
Kielder's purpose-built for anyone with a disability – you can go alone, in a group, or with your family. The building's all on one level, and each room has private access to the lovely countryside outside. Beds have been specially made to cater for different disabilities, and washbasins are at different heights too. Besides the main dining-room and small licensed bar, there are small kitchens for self-catering and laundry. To go in a group, write to Young Arthritis Care, or if you prefer to go independently contact Kielder direct. The services at Kielder, and at nine other adventure centres for disabled people, are described in the Stackpole Trust Support Group's leaflet (free, but send SAE) Adventure for All.
Some of us have been fit enough and foolhardy enough at times to travel, on our own, to exotic foreign parts like Norway, Canada, or even Czechoslovakia. We've had to plan ahead carefully, but managed with fairly straightforward modifications to otherwise 'ordinary' holidays, for instance by ensuring hotel bedroom and main public rooms are accessible by lift, by getting extra help from an airline, and by getting manageable luggage, eg shoulder bag, suitcase on wheels – some have built-in wheels, others are strap-on, or luggage trolleys/carriers (eg from Norland Gazelle Travel Goods).
Don't overlook 'disabled' publications just because you don't feel disabled: they contain many useful tips for making ordinary holidays easier. More about those later. Look back too at chapter 24 'Out and about' for ways of overcoming mobility problems, and page 174 on getting-to-the-loo problems. Ask, too, the Holiday Care Service (page 277) and Tripscope (page 184) for information specific to your needs.
More and more ordinary publications and travel agents are anxious to help people with special needs too, so don't be afraid to mention yours. Be wary though that 'special facilities' may not be as wonderful as they sound, or might not suit your own particular needs. Don't take bland reassurances for granted, but cross-check facts, eg ask how many steps there are, don't just accept that 'there aren't many'. Be specific about what you need, rather than accepting what they think you need.
Difficulties may be overcome just by choosing your holiday cannily, like Peter Nightingale, who maximised scene changes and minimised leg-work by taking a boat trip one Easter: 11 nights at sea travelling the length of the Norwegian coast. Or how about a weekend or longer on a 'residential course' in a lovely old country home or university, meeting other people and dabbling in anything from singing or crafts or English literature to astronomy or computing? (In Time to Learn, page 247). Seek inspiration too in the English Tourist Board's Activity and Hobby Holidays, which includes special interest breaks, and residential activity centres for children to go off on their own. If you're wanting simply to travel in Britain, it's worth remembering that hotel chains such as Travelodge, Granada Lodge and Travel Inns usually have ground floor rooms. Every Travelodge has at least one room designed for disabled people.
For a Quieter break, how about going on a retreat, a period of time set aside for meditation, rest and spiritual reflection? These take place in houses, convents, or monasteries. The Macleod Centre for instance, on the island of Iona, was specifically designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. In some centres you spend the time in your own way; in others guidance is offered. Some offer 'theme retreats', where you're helped to develop inner stillness and reflection through painting or music. For details send an SAE to the National Retreat Centre.
Or how about a holiday centre, where each member of the family can be as active or as lazy as s/he likes, like Center Parcs, for instance? There are several abroad and two in Britain, one in Sherwood Forest and one in Norfolk. There's a huge central tropically heated dome with swimming pool, wild water rapids, whirlpools, water slides, sunbeds, saunas, etc, and plenty to do outside the dome too. Some of the self-catering villas have special features for disabled people, and there's a choice of restaurants. No cars are allowed: you get around by bike or on foot, so you might want to take a wheelchair or electric 'scoota'. Full details from Center Parcs.
If warm sunny Tenerife tempts you, there's a purpose-built, wheelchair-accessible holiday centre there, called Mar y Sol, with swimming pools (one heated with a hoist), poolside bar, sports and health facilities, etc (see Mar y Sol in Appendix 2).
One YPA, who'd brought up her family singlehanded, on state benefits, unexpectedly found her holiday dream came true thanks to her local council:
"I approached my local council (holidays section). The ladies were particularly helpful and friendly. I told them that my two young sons were going on a camping holiday, could they consider me for a holiday on a health farm? …A little later, one of the ladies telephoned to say that the council had agreed to funding, and that they would organise everything! They also said that my request was the first time that anyone had asked for such an unusual holiday, and that I had to promise to tell them all about it when I got back! (I think they were as excited as I was). So, as you see, because a thing hasn't been tried before – it doesn't mean that it can't be done!
"Contrary to popular belief, health farms aren't full of the 'idle rich' either. I made friends with a headmistress, a mother and daughter, a Welsh policeman and a journalist – 'The Gang of Six'! Of course, you 'rub shoulders' with some monied people, but spending all day in dressing-gowns is a great leveller! (By the way, my dressing-gown was much admired by an actress, and I took immense pleasure telling her it cost £4.99, 'down the market').
"The staff were very efficient and helpful, and guests were treated equally – and a nice touch, I thought, was on departure day. On checking out, people paid by cheque or cash, but my bill was being paid by the London Borough of Greenwich. I presented myself at the desk, and the receptionist said 'Hello, Mrs P–, we do hope you've enjoyed your stay, your bill has been taken care of by your company!' Great eh? I swanned out of reception like 'Lady Dunnabit'…" (In Contact)
Local social services departments are required to assess the need of a disabled person for a holiday, if asked to do so, but their reaction in practice to a request for help is unpredictable. Still, worth a try if a holiday any other way seems out of the question.
Besides considering Young Arthritis Care or PHAB holidays, others of us who are older, or more limited in what we can do might prefer something like one of Arthritis Care's hotels, or self-catering holiday units, where you and your family do your own thing. Ask Arthritis Care for their Holiday Centres leaflet. Other organisations too have hotels or centres with special facilities (addresses in Appendix 2), for instance:
One mother (with very bad RA) and her family decided to pool their holiday money to buy a caravan, so they could take advantage of it the instant she had a period of good health.
Several tour operators now specialise in organising group or individual holidays for disabled people, taking all the worry out of the whole business. Some holidays are in Britain, others abroad in exotic places like Florida or Majorca. The Holiday Care Service and publications mentioned in this chapter will tell you more.
How about an adventurous sailing holiday, perhaps off Britain, or even the Bahamas, helping to crew a square-rigged boat, the Lord Nelson? It's been specially built to be crewed by a mixed team of physically handicapped and able-bodied people. Details on page 290, where you'll find other information to inspire holiday ideas.
Some sources of information to help you plan your visit in advance:
A divorced mum (with RA) wanted a holiday she and her sons could go on together:
"In the past, my sons and I have been on holidays for the elderly and mentally handicapped. That wasn't too successful. A week at Butlin's, absolutely great for the children, but awkward for me, as the holidaymakers were in groups, or two parent families. Gingerbread (single parent group), fine, you would think – not so! The common denominator is the one parent but not a disabled one parent!
"I thought I'd cracked it – our last holiday, two years ago, was a caravan, parked almost on the water's edge, in a quiet seaside resort. I imagined spending all day on the beach together – only one snag! It was sandy beach but you had to scale a mountain of shingle to get on to it. The boys spent all day on the beach all right, but alone – without me. I was back at the caravan relaxing. (Trying to, that is) hoping they hadn't been swept out to sea, or savaged by crabs on the almost deserted beach." (In Contact)
The solution was to go to Kielder (page 273) with Young Arthritis Care, where they had a wonderful time, together. An alternative might be to go somewhere like Center Parcs or Ashwellthorpe (page 275) or to an Arthritis Care self-catering unit or hotel, or to a National Trust adapted cottage (page 276), and to persuade friends and other people from a self-help group to go along too (a local Young Arthritis Care Contact might help put you in touch).
Another option, though not cheap, is to send the children away on their own to special activity camps. Some have swimming pools, gyms and playing fields. Some are multi-activity, others specialise in anything from computing to football coaching. The British Activity Holidays Association (BAHA) operates a code of practice and makes safety inspections of camps. Write to BAHA for a list of members.
Gingerbread (page 236) publishes a Holiday Guide for One Parent Families
The Holiday Care Service Have you ever wished you could just say to a specially understanding travel agent 'I'd like to go to Tenerife – but I've no idea how to do it or how on earth I'd manage to get over the arthritis/mobility difficulties' – and receive the reply 'Here's just the information to help you'? Or maybe you fancy birdwatching? Or wonder how you could travel by air with a wheelchair? Or whether there's an accessible hotel in the resort of your dreams? Well, the Holiday Care Service could be the answer.
It's a charity, partly funded by the English Tourist Board, which provides free information and advice on holidays for people with special needs. It doesn't actually make bookings, but gives you the information to help you make your own choice of holiday, whether it's an 'ordinary, independent holiday' or one specially geared to disabled people.
There's a wide range of factsheets, including a list of accessible hotels in the Mediterranean. They also operate a free service, Holiday Helpers, to introduce experienced volunteers to disabled people who can't go on an independent holiday without someone to help. One of these was Sheena, with Still's disease, who thanks to Holiday-Helpers was able to tour the Scottish Highlands in a specially adapted vehicle. HCS only make the introductions; it's then up to the holiday-maker and helper to sort out details, including finance.
You can write or phone for information. You'll need to give full details of your needs, explain what kind of holiday you're looking for, where you'd like to go, what sort of budget you're working to, and what your arthritis limitations are.
Tripscope See page 184. Information by phone, to help you plan your travelling, wherever and whatever it's for. To keep your phone bill low, they'll phone you back if you want.
Travel Companions If you're fit enough to travel on your own, without help, but would prefer someone else along for company (and to avoid single room supplements), Travel Companions, for an annual membership fee, offer three introductions to possible holiday partners (age range 35-75). They stress they're not a dating agency!
Department of Transport DoT's free Door to Door guide is packed with travel information, including rail, coach, air and sea travel, with all sorts of gems tucked away, for instance a ferry from Aberdeen to Lerwick with a specially designed cabin for disabled people, cross-Channel ferries with lift access. The guide's well worth a browse.
RADAR publications Various prices, all available by post from RADAR. Books first:
RADAR Holiday Factsheets include:
Send SAE for RADAR's full publications list, which includes leaflets and books published by other bodies, for instance Travelling with British Rail – A Guide for Disabled People, Disabled Traveller's International Phrase Book, a full range of Access guides (eg in different towns in Britain, also Access in Paris, Access in Brittany, Access in Israel, Access at the Channel Ports).
Disabled Living Foundation Will send, for a small payment:
Automobile Association (AA)
Other possibly helpful publications:
Arthritis Care will sometimes consider applications for financial assistance. RADAR produces a holiday finance factsheet. The Holiday Care Service may be able to advise on sources of help, and it's worth trying your local social services, and any local charity too.
Don't forget to take your medication, and any portable gadgets you'll need. Make a 'Holiday Checklist' well in advance – a great sanity-saver! List all the clothes and whatnots you might need. Choose a limited number of coordinating clothes and colours, which can be dressed up or down. Don't load yourself down with clutter you won't use. Put the list away for a while then go through it again and ruthlessly prune it.
The sort of gadgets I take include a folding longreach gadget, a long-handled bathbrush (for feet), stocking puller-up, small non-slip bathmat, plus my National Key Scheme key (for 'disabled' loos – page 174). You might want to include a tap-turner. The nearest thing to a portable raised toilet seat is a collapsible 4" high seat which fits most standard toilets. It's made of polypropylene, and folds flat into its own carrying bag. Details from Aremco. Remember, some items can be hired from the British Red Cross, for instance a wheelchair or commode, useful where there's no downstairs loo. Some can be folded for travelling. See RADAR's Red Cross portable equipment loan factsheet or contact the British Red Cross direct. Or take a discreet 'portable urinal' (page 144).
Include your drugs in your checklist. Take with you a separate note of drug types, dosage, etc, in case they get lost. If flying, pack the drugs in your hand luggage, not your suitcase, in case that goes astray.
If, horror of horrors, you forget to take your tablets with you, and you're in Britain, you can visit a GP in your holiday area, under the NHS, as a 'temporary resident'. The GP will ask you to sign a form. If you can't get to a GP, visit a pharmacist. Provided the drug's not on a controlled list, and the pharmacist is convinced your need's genuine, s/he can give you an emergency supply (usually three or five days' worth). You may have to pay. If you normally use a 'season ticket' for your prescription payments but have forgotten it, ask the pharmacist for a receipt so you can claim the money back later.
If you're going abroad, Britain has reciprocal health care arrangements with some other countries. Some are complicated. Well before you travel ask at any local social security office or post office for a copy of leaflet SA30: it includes a form you'll need to send off for the certificate of entitlement (form E111) which you'll need with you in EEC countries. Take out health insurance, especially if you're visiting countries without reciprocal agreements (see the section on holiday insurance on page 139).
Find out whether there are any special health precautions you need to take. Get leaflet SA35 Notice to Travellers: Health Protection. Both leaflets SA30 and SA35 are also available by post from DSS Overseas Branch.
In some countries overseas (eg Pakistan, India, Middle East) injections or anti-malarials are necessary which may upset RA or SLE/lupus in some people (though in a few, anti-malarials have instead helped the RA). Beware anti-cholera and anti-typhoid which can cause unpleasant reactions in RA and SLE/lupus. Check with your rheumatologist.