Holidaying with Dementia - Top 10 Self Catering Holiday Properties in the UK

By Dr Carol Sargent of Sargent Group Consulting, an expert on dementia friendly tourism and founder of a ‘dementia friendly’ accreditation scheme for holiday accommodation providers. For more information visit https://sargentgroup.consulting/

It’s estimated that 982,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia and this is projected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040. Many of them still want to go on holiday.

We all know the health and well being benefits a good holiday can bring and the dementia community are no different. Indeed the benefits can be much greater given the pressure imposed on this community by the lack of government support, and discriminations made by society.

There is a growing recognition that appropriate holidays can improve quality of life, along with health and wellbeing benefits.

In choosing where to stay on a holiday if you or a loved one has dementia, it's important to think about the kind of accommodation that will be most useful for your current day-to-day needs.

Trying to strike a balance between somewhere that will provide you with what you need, while not being overwhelmed is key to a successful holiday.

Self catering accommodation can be the best choice as unlike a hotel where you have a bedroom and an ensuite, self catering accommodation can give you the familiarity of the rooms you spend time in during the day.

I’ve selected my top ten suggestions for ‘dementia inclusive’self catering properties based on a combination of the following criteria:

• Location – how easy is it to find and get to?
• Dementia Inclusive environment – applying criteria from the Dementia Design School, Dementia Services Development Centre, Stirling University
• Owner and staff’s understanding of dementia
• Support which can be provided (equipment, flexibility, links to food and take away deliveries)
• Dementia inclusive activities in the surrounding area

My top ten suggestions are listed in alphabetical order:

1. Brazenhall Barns – Norfolk
2. Cottages in the Dale – Yorkshire
3. Craigengar Lodge Pentlands - Lothian
4. Hoe Grange Farms Brassington - Peak District
5. Moray Lodge, Grantown-on-Spey – Cairngorms
6. Mains of Taymouth – Perthshire
7. Sara’s Cottage, Truro - Cornwall
8. Sladen Lodge, Hathersage – Peak District
9. The Rings , Cupar - Fife
10. The Yard, Filey - Yorkshire

These properties accommodate a range of guests and have different price points, enabling the dementia community to book somewhere and experience the health and wellbeing benefits of a well-deserved holiday.  For more information about Dr Carol Sargent visit https://sargentgroup.consulting/