UK short break

[Barney16]

I would be very grateful for any suggestions. I'm trying to find somewhere in the UK that I can take my elderly parents for a short break. They are 84 and both have mobility issues. They can walk but not far and they walk very slowly. Walking anything above a short distance is impossible. However they like going to visit places and are getting a bit depressed by how tricky it is when you can't really walk far. Does anyone have any suggestions for places that would be accessible that I could base a short break around?

How about having a look at some 'holidays for the elderly' websites to see if you can get some inspiration from their itineraries?

I was going to take my mum on a break to Sidmouth in Devon because her mum grew up near there, but also because it's a beautiful area, I love the landscape and my mum loves the sea. They have a lovely promenade and many sea front hotels where they are [cough] used to older guests. I booked into the Royal York and Faulkner where for example it was full waiter service at breakfast, you didn't have to get up and down to help yourself. Obviously there was a lift. I would have liked to go to the Belmont or the other hotel further down which look like something out of Agatha Christie but they were way past my budget!

If I'd realised, I would have tried to afford not just a sea view (which was lovely) but a balcony as well.

My mum was taken ill so we never went but I took my partner and we enjoyed ourselves. If I had taken my mum we would have gone for local drives to places like Ottery St Mary and up onto the cliffs.

Thank you. I'm going to do some googling and see what mat be possible. They would both benefit from wheelchairs when put on trips but there's only me and I can't push both of them at the same time.

Warner holidays. A work colleague used to take her parents every year.

Saga holidays

My mum has limited mobility (blue badge but not a wheelchair user) and they went to Salcombe last year and enjoyed it a lot.

The trouble with anywhere in Devon though is it's going to be hilly! How about Cambridgeshire?

@Barney16 could you hire a mobility scooter for either/both?

for ideas;

www.southcoastmobility.co.uk/mobility-hire/

www.visitengland.com/travel-info-and-advice/accessible-england

Norfolk is very flat. How about a house by a river on the Broads?

Coach holidays full of old people, tend to do day trips out as well

Many places you can borrow mobility scooters as well. Whereabouts are you as you probably don't want much travel.

How about somewhere like Weymouth, and hire mobility scooters for them both? There is a place there that hires them out in the town. And many places like arboretums or NT parks hire out scooters on site. I found a useful list of places http://www.3muddywheels.co.uk/hiring.html where you can hire scooters at the location

They live in Manchester. They have done a couple of coach holidays for older people which are great because then my dad doesn't have to drive. But they can't manage the excursions. So they have recently been on a coach trip to Cornwall but they couldn't walk the distance from where the coach parked to, for example the entrance to the Tate. For them they have to be literally dropped at the door. My mum has the most limited mobility but my dad is too frail to push her if she was in a wheelchair. I do take them places when I can but I am literally pulling up on yellow lines and it takes them absolutely ages to get out of the car so I get very worked up.

Thank you very much. I'm going to check that out.

Thank you I'm going to have a good look at that.

Plenty of hotels in Sidmouth are just across the road from the long promenade.
Do a Google Street View and take a look.

It’s a lovely walk along the prom’, there’s plenty of seats, a long wall to sit on or a proper shelter thingy to sit in, chat to others and eat ice cream.

Buy ice cream from The Fort cafe on the front. It’s homemade and delicious. The best and most creamy ever.

Sidmouth I would say is “geared up” for the fragile elderly and I think you’d enjoy it. The beach is pebbly so families go to Exmouth for the sand which means, with respect, Sidmouth is a quieter resort. Different atmosphere altogether.

Good regular bus service to Exeter too.