My father-in-law Heny is 94. He’s funny, loves reading, eating out, is dreadfully stubborn, and is a TV addict. He also happens to have dementia, his short-term memory has been deteriorating over the last four years.
Since the passing of my mother-in-law in 2016, we’ve been taking him on biannual trips within the UK – a week in the summer to a holiday cottage and a New Year’s stay at a hotel.
One thing is certain – he hates the British winter. So last year we decided to take him for a winter getaway. We renewed his passport; who knew it’s free for anyone born before September 1929?
After discussing potential destinations, we settled on Fuerteventura for its typically warm January weather and its accessibility for individuals with disabilities, as my father-in-law cannot walk very far and requires a wheelchair. The next decision was between a hotel and a villa. We opted for a villa to ensure ease of access all on one level and flexibility around meals. The problem with hotels is that he has his own room; we can’t always easily check on him, and their corridors can be a maze!
We arranged our flights with Jet2, ensuring wheelchair support and took our wheelchair. Jet2 were brilliant throughout, safely storing our chair until we reached Fuerteventura. Opting for a midweek flight from Bristol Airport, we stayed overnight at the Hampton By Hilton on the airport complex. We decided mid-week would probably be quieter and we were right.
Although we were just over an hour away from Bristol, we had to check-in by 8am. We took the stress away by being over the road. You can check your luggage in the night before, which was so easy, making the following day stress-free.
We had our breakfast at the Hampton By Hilton before heading to the airport. We used the walkway to get to the terminal, but we also found out that we could have arranged transportation from the hotel to the airport door—something for next time.
Upon arrival in Fuerteventura, the airport staff were very helpful, and his wheelchair was waiting for him when we got off the plane. They took us quickly through passport control and baggage reclaim. We had a rented estate car, and we headed to the villa.
Henry initially found the new environment disorienting, but he gradually acclimatised, revelling in the sunshine in the villa’s garden. He loved sitting and reading his books, which we noticed were the same pages repeatedly. He read one three times!
His room was en-suite, with a walk-in shower, which we had purposely booked for ease. The villa was spacious, and once he had begun to work out the layout, he could make a cup of tea himself and settled perfectly. In fact, he asked if we could move there!
Our location in Caleta De Fuste provided easy access to the beach and other attractions, accommodating Henry’s mobility needs. We were able to make his normal breakfast and lunch and some evenings we enjoyed local restaurants, others time we had dinner at the villa.
The large TV had all the usual streaming services, and he soon worked out how to watch programmes of interest. The villa gave us that home from home feeling.
The beach at Caleta De Fuste has excellent access for anyone with mobility issues. We went several times; it was so easy.
Despite his dementia-related challenges, like forgetting food orders and occasional confusion, we managed as we would at home. Henry embraced the holiday experience, thoroughly enjoying visits to places like the Oasis Park Zoo and beach resorts.
These days he repeats everything he says a few times, and being away makes no difference. We had to remind him sometimes that we were away, and that we were going home!
The staff on the return at both airports were equally helpful. When we got back to Bristol, we even took the bus from the airport to Purple Parking, which was so easy as they had a ramp to help us get on the bus with a wheelchair.
When we finally got home, he came to stay with us for a few days before returning to his flat. Each day, he got up complaining about the cold and wishing he was back in the sunshine. This reinforced the positive impact of this holiday. Taking Henry away to a hot climate in January gave him so much joy!
Despite the occasional challenges, the benefits outweighed any negatives, leaving us with cherished memories of our time together.
