West Cliff Hall resident enjoys Caribbean holiday

At Hartford Care we truly believe that encouraging independence whilst staying active and adventurous enriches the lives of our residents. This is certainly the case with one of our residents, Clive, who has just embarked on the trip of a lifetime which he has been planning for seven months.

Clive had an early start this morning being picked up from West Cliff Hall at 5am, Friday 27 January, to make his way over to Heathrow. Clive will be stopping off at Amsterdam before continuing his journey to Curacao in the Caribbean.

He is travelling with Limitless Travel, a Birmingham based accessible travel company whose goal is to open the world up to travellers with disabilities and anyone who has care requirements. With experienced carers on every vacation they offer, this award-winning holiday provider ensures that every aspect of the trip is accessible and designed to run smoothly.

Clive will have access to a carer if needed and will be staying at the Dolphin Suites, Curacao, where he plans to enjoy lots of mojitos and margaritas whilst fishing with his buddy. Born in the heart of Truro, Cornwall, in 1952, Clive spent most of his life working as a chartered accountant. He has two daughters and four grandchildren, with another on the way! Clive is no stranger to adventure, being well-travelled, and his best trip so far was to New Orleans, USA, to watch Mardi Gras.

The team at West Cliff Hall have been encouraging and considerate as to what Clive requires for the trip. Clive mentioned that two people in particular have stood out to him, being Kim Gibson, Care Practitioner, who prepared his medication for the duration of the holiday, and Jessica Wells, Activities Coordinator, who packed his entire suitcase and organised Clive himself, to make sure he’s ready for the trip.

“I truly couldn’t have done this without everyone,” Clive stated. “A care home doesn’t mean you’re stuck inside four walls, quite the opposite, the world is your oyster and mine is my care home! Limitless Travel has been amazing to me in the past and I cannot wait to use them again. I would certainly recommend them to anyone afraid of going on holiday on their own.”

The entire team at West Cliff Hall have spoken to Clive over the last few weeks and months, sharing their ideas and excitement, whilst the night carers finished his preparations in the small hours this morning to help him get under way.

Registered Manager of West Cliff Hall, Aga Gierek-Tan, shared her thoughts on Clive and why she’s not surprised to see Clive living life to the fullest.

“Since moving into West Cliff Hall in July 2022, Clive has brightened the place up with his fantastic sense of humour and positive attitude. Clive has made lots of friends, and he has encouraged people to be independent. He is a very motivated person and thrives from others’ happiness. Clive is currently learning French; it’s never too late to learn !”

The entire team at West Cliff Hall and Hartford Care wish Clive an amazing trip, and we hope this inspires all our residents to flourish and enjoy living with us as much as possible.