Second Opinion: Vacation therapy is for everyone, not just the young and employed

This week's column comes shortly after summer vacation with my family, struggling gamely with the elements at Jamie Knox's wonderful windsurfing school in Brandon Bay on the Dingle peninsula. Between anticipation, the event itself and subsequent pleasant reflection, it is clear to me that there is a therapeutic element to taking a holiday.

Yet, for so many of us who are the presently able-bodied, the taking of a holiday is so much a given as to become invisible in terms of examining its place in our lives. It is hard to believe that paid holidays for all workers on these islands dates back only to the 1940s, and we need to spare a thought for those who, through disability and poverty, cannot get this break from everyday life.

My own thoughts on this were formed by interesting experiences during my undergraduate years. The first was a gap year as a volunteer with a French organisation, Les Petits Frères des Pauvres, whose motto was 'les fleurs avant le pain' (flowers before bread).

At first sight, it seemed a bit precious, but the realisation dawned that the state tends to provide the basics, and that what many older people lack is a sense of celebration, fun and style. In addition to providing home care with volunteers, there was a major focus on outings, birthdays and, in particular, holidays, with the agenda generally set by the older people.

The second was through two summer electives in Hamburg, where I was fascinated to learn that the German health insurance system paid for regular residential stays at spas, known under the umbrella term of Kurmedizin (spa medicine). While this entitlement has been significantly whittled away with time and financial retrenchment, the stay was generally one of relaxation, exercise, baths, concerts and entertainments.

In terms of the evidence base for the effectiveness of such a service, I was skeptical, but now I wonder whether it might be useful to have some form of support for holidays of this nature for those who cannot provide for holidays for themselves.

Pros and cons

The modest medical literature on the effect of holidays is interesting, generally trying to gauge their impact on health and wellbeing.

Positive factors include free time for one’s self, warmer (and sunnier) vacation locations, exercise during vacation, good sleep, and making new acquaintances. Post-holiday exhaustion, on the other hand, is increased by vacation-related health problems and a greater time-zone difference to home (supporting stay- cations) but is reduced by warmer vacation locations (against staycations).

Although the self-rated health effects seem to be quite short-lived, what is notable is the scant attention given to the impact of not being able to take a holiday.

One study showed that those who do not take vacations are more likely to be older and poorer, and did not show the gains in health and wellbeing of those taking a holiday.

So, as you read this during the peak holiday season, think of those around you who are unlikely to have a holiday, and consider how they might be supported.

If disability is the issue, a number of locations provide suitable facilities, ranging from the Irish Wheelchair Association’s Cuisle Centre in Roscommon to lists held by Discover Ireland of wheelchair accessible hotels and self- catering rental homes – discoveringireland.com/ ireland-by- wheelchair/. The IWA also provides listings of more adventurous options, including sail-training ships and safaris. In addition, the St Vincent de Paul Society runs a number of holiday centres primarily for older people.

Sometimes, however, it may just be that no one has thought of asking the person whether they would like a holiday. For residents in nursing homes, a break might be just what is needed, and the distance travelled needn’t be large: in such instances, a change of location to a nearby hotel for a few days can be as good as a holiday.

No utopia

While we remain far from the utopian vision of US president William Howard Taft in 1910 that every American worker needed a good two to three months of vacation a year “in order to continue his work next year with the energy and effectiveness which it ought to have”, we should reflect on the role of a holiday break in the wellbeing of all of our citizens, and not just those in current employment.

Prof Des O'Neill is a geriatrician at Tallaght hospital and author of Ageing And Caring: A Guide For Later Life (Orpen Press).