At Valentine Holidays we aim to provide our clients, with or without partners, with a trip in a 6 berth motor home, in a relaxing environment. An element of care can be provided, if necessary, to anyone suffering from a medical or neurological ailment which we are familiar with
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Care Assisted Holidays
One of our first trips out to test the motorhome and to locate good campsites was to Suffolk, an area of England often overlooked when thinking of areas of natural beauty. Tracey lived for many years in this county and I have visited it in the past so we decided to pool our knowledge and go to [...]
Read MoreTracey and I decided to travel across to the Lake District to assess how quickly the journey could be done, ...
Epilepsy, characterised by episodes of sudden changes in conscious state, is a very common ailment throughout the world with as many as 1 in 200 peole suffering from it in either it’s mild form (where a person has episodes of vacancy) or in its more severe form (where the patient loses consciousness with, on occasion, severe rigidity and shaking of one or more limbs). Medication is the foremost treatment for epilepsy and 70% sufferers will gain control over the seizures through this means, although at present there is not a cure.
In either form, there are restrictions imposed on the individual in the form of necessary supervision to maintain safety in and around the home and legal restrictions such as the denial by DVLA of a driving licence.
Valentine Care Holidays staff have experience looking after clients with epilepsy both from the view of managing seizures when they occur, maintaining safety of the client during and after the seizure and administering first aid, but also from the point of view of managing the day to day care of someone who has epilepsy and supervision of medication to keep epilepsy in check.
There are known to be triggers that may set off a seizure and we, at Valentine Care Holidays would ask that, if the client is aware of a trigger that is likely to initiate a seizure, you inform us when completing your booking form which will give us adequate time to eradicate that trigger. We would also ask to be informed if the client is fitted with a vagal nerve stimulator or other electronic device to reduce seizures.
We would accommodate a seizure response dog, if the client has use of one to give advance warning of oncoming seizures, as long as the client takes resposibility for the dog during the stay with us.
Please could any client bring a sufficient supply of all medication, including that used in emergency situations, to cover the duration of your stay with us (and a bit extra to cover any unforseen circumstances).
Huntington’s Disease, characterised by choreoform, jerky movemnts of limbs, a staggering gait with associated swallowing difficulties, is a medical condition with which we, at Valentines Care Holidays are well familiar.
As such, we are able to put in place a care package to promote the safety of the client while at the same time allowing freedom to enjoy the holiday.
From the time the client wakes,supervision is there to maintain the safety of the client with mobility and with eating and drinking. Staff are experienced in determining if thickener is needed for the client’s drinks to promote safe swallowing, and how much thickener to add. We ae also aware that small fequent meals or concentrated energy drinks are required and can tailor the holiday so that we stop the vehicle as necessary to accommodate this.
Assistance is available to get to and from the shower room and toilet and to assist with showering if needed, and with dressing. Assistance can be offered with mobility in and outside the vehicle.
If a client is on medication,they need to bring enough to last for the entire trip (plus a little extra for those just-in-case scenarios). Staff are available to assist a client to take their medication if needed. Please also bring any specially adapted cutlery or drinking cups.
Please be aware that if a supply of concentrated energy drinks is being brought, refridgeration is very limited so , although we can accommodate a couple of small cartons of drink in the fridge, the client would have to consider a supplement that is not required to be kept refrigerated.
Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative disorder affecting the client’s ability to control all muscle function in the body. There are known to be different types such as Relapsing and Progressive which affect people in different ways at different times of their lives. It is a condition with which we, at Valentine Care Holidays, have had much experience.
Staff are available to assist a client, as needed, to carry out all activities during the day, allowing the client to maintain as independent a lifestyle as possible. Valentine Care Holidays can tailor the holiday around times when the client feels more energetic and wishes to be more independent, and other times when more rest is needed so that overexertion doesn’t cause excessive tiredness and spoil the holiday.
The vehicle is equipped with a shower room that can accommodate a shower chair so that a client may shower as safely as is possible, but supervision or assistance is available if needed. Assistance can be provided to facilitate mobility in and outside the motorhome and with dressing and with toilet requirements as needed.
If the client has need of a wheelchair, please could they bring one with them that is both suitable in size for themselves and that is foldable for storage inside the vehicle.
Some medication available for M.S. may need to be refridgerated. While we encouarage all our clients to bring adequate stocks of all medicines to last for the duration of the stay with us (and a bit extra for unforseen emergencies) please be aware that refridgeration facilities in any motorhome are not as expansive as when you are at home. Please also bring a sharps bin if one is going to be required.
Parkinson’s Disease, first rcognised by Dr James Parkinson as early as 1817 is the 2nd most common neorological disorder (the first being Alzheimers Disease)has been described in literature and scrolls dating back to the time of the Egytian Pharoahs but not until the 1960′s has there been any efficacious medical treatment. It is characterised by shaking, rigidity and a slowing of the gait, sometimes to a shuffle, along with a tremor of the hands which limits fine motor movement and dexterity. In severe cases the body goes rigid and injections of medication are needed to free up the body back to its normal self. This is a condition with which we, at Valentine Care Holidays, are familiar.
Staff are available to assist in the day to day activities with which a client has difficulty due to parkinsonism, from difficulties with washing and dressing in the morning to problems taking medication at times when the body ‘freezes’.
We appreciate the need for a diet which reduces the risk of constipation due to a poor gut motility and are quite willing to prepare meals to the client’s requirements and taste to alleviate any digestive related problems.
We also recognise that in various medical conditions, notably Parkinson’s Disease, clients may experience altered sleep patterns. We, at Valentine Care Holidays, can take this into consideration when accommodating any client at bedtime in the motorhome and all sleeping areas have very efficient blinds and curtains to reduce early morning light. The motorhome is doubleglazed and soundproofed to reduce the volume of noise made by external sources (such as the dawn chorus ) to less than would be heard if you were camping in a tent.
If the client is on a medication regime outside the normal 4-times-a-day, e.g.sinemet at 0600 or apomorphine pump, please can the client bring adequate medication and all accessories with the pump(and a sharps bin, if needed) to last for the duration of the holiday (and a few extra for unforseen emergencies)
A stroke, typically characterised by a weakness down one side of the body and sometimes associated with speech or swallowing problems is a condition with which we, at Valentine Care Holidays, have had a lot of experience.
Providing the client can negotiate the two steps up into the motorhome, with assistance if needed, then there is no reason we can not help him/her to have a wonderful holiday. Assistance is available once inside the vehicle to mobilise to and from the toilet room and the shower room and to carry out all activities with which the client needs help, while, at the same time, promoting independence within limits that are safe inside the motorhome. Staff are available to assist with dietary requirements if a soft diet or thickener in drinks is needed. We are able to cater for PEG feeding as long as the client brings pump, charger, feed and giving sets and, of course, all the feed necessary for the length of the holiday with us.
If a client walks with a walking aid at home, please could the client bring the device or a similar one that is collapsible and suitable for use inside the motorhome. Please could the client also bring any specially adapted cutlery or drinking cups.
Down’s Syndrome was named after the Victorian physician, John Langdon Down who described the syndrome in 1866. We have had people with this condition in mainstream society for over 200 years and it is known to occur all over the world. It is an extremely common disorder affecting 1 in 750 births on average, though statistically it is more common in families where one or both parents are over 45 at the time of conception. As such, when the client reaches the age of consent , it is likely that both his/her parents will be on the verge of collecting their buspass.
An American Dr in 1980 described characteristics of Down’s syndome patients to include playfulness, being affectionate, mischievous and imitative. We, at Valentine Care Holidays, having extensive experience of looking after people with Down’s, are well aware of the funloving nature of indviduals and treat every client as an individual and are available to assist with the dissipation of the, sometimes, boundless energy such people have.
The medics have also shown that clients with Down’s have a much higher incidence of ear problems and visual difficulties. This may contribute to the known difficulties people with Down’s have been shown to have keeping up with their peers when in mainstream education. Our patient staff are aware of the need to let all individuals carry out their daily routine at their own pace and can adapt the progress of the holiday according to the talents of the individual and the wishes of the family.
We are also aware of the liklihood of gastro intestinal problems , particularly constipation, and are available to assist with the appropriate medication for the client, by whichever route it is prescribed.
As experienced staff with combined nursing and care careers of over 45 years, Valentine Care Holidays are also aware of the increased statistical chance of early onset Altzheimers Disease in clients over the age of 45 to 50 who already have Down’s Syndrome and are aware of the patience needed to deal with outbreaks of behaviour that do occur from time to time.
Our aim is to treat each client as an individual , bearing in mind their medical problems, and to provide an enjoyable experience for all.
At Valentine Care Holidays we recognise that it’s not just people who have an illness or disability who we can help to get away on a motorhome holiday. There are people who lead busy lifestyles who would love to take a break but who don’t have the time or the experience to arrange things themselves. By booking through Valentine Care Holidays and letting us know your interests or a travel destination, we can use our extensive knowledge of the British mainland to work out a planned holiday to a site (or to more than one site if you wish) which can be organised within the time of the holiday you book with us.
We are National Trust members which gives us access to parking facilities at all National Trust sites in the UK and, if the client is also a member, free entry to sites of interest such as stately homes owned by the Trust and country parks or areas of natural beauty.
We are members of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds which permits us to park free at sites owned by the RSPB and visit many locations throughout the UK where the best birdwatching can be found.
We are also members of the Camping and Caravanning Club which gives us access, not only to some of the best sites in the UK but lets us be sure those sites have been inspected and are up to the standard we would expect for our clients .
The British Isles does have some areas of outstanding natural beauty and, despite the millions of people crammed into these small islands, some areas of peace and tranquility which are accesssible by road.
We take bookings for holidays throughout the year, though we must advise that some sites may be closed out of the ‘high’ season. There is still a lot of beauty to be found in the sites we can visit in the Autumn and Winter months particularly with activities like photography or birdwatching where there are different things to see at different times of the year.
The motorhome, itself is double glazed and benefits from a blown air central heating system, so is suitable for holidays at any time of the year. Due to the height above ground, the view you get from the panoramic windows is superior to that you get from a car, with the added benefit that if you do wish to stop or have a break, and there is not a service area closeby, then we have all facilities on board.