For over 50 years the charity Revitalise has been making a real, tangible difference to the lives of thousands of disabled people and carers each year.
Revitalise is the largest provider of respite holidays for disabled people and carers in the UK, welcoming people who need the reassurance of 24 hour on-call nurse-led care in order to have a respite holiday. Revitalise welcomes guests with over 150 different impairments, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, arthritis and dementia. Underpinning all Revitalise does is one simple, immutable belief – everybody needs a break.
No other UK provider does what Revitalise does. By combining expert care with imaginative excursions and activities, The charity gives its guests something truly unique – a break that feels like a proper holiday. Those who come to Revitalise are no longer ‘cared for’ and ‘carer’ but wife and husband, mother and son – one human being and another.
Time away is an essential part of being well, of having healthy relationships, but too long without a break can put all this in crisis. Revitalise guest Steve White told us about how his respite breaks with Revitalise have changed his life:
“I’ve been with Karen for 35 years. My condition got worse six years ago and my short-term memory has been affected. It’s been hard for her. I miss feeling useful. I’m a very positive person, but I get very lonely when Karen’s out at work.
Revitalise gives me a great sense of life. I get to see so many things and I love meeting people. We’re together like a family. Karen can catch up with things and go places with our daughter Natalie while I’m away. When I come back I feel much more alive.”
The charity has three accessible centres in Chigwell, Southampton and Southport. For more information about Revitalise breaks, call 0303 303 0145 or visit www.revitalise.org.uk
