{"id":8819,"date":"2019-04-25T14:35:03","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T14:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/?p=8819"},"modified":"2019-04-26T15:16:28","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T15:16:28","slug":"how-a-4-generation-vacation-can-improve-health-and-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/spring-summer-2019\/how-a-4-generation-vacation-can-improve-health-and-happiness\/","title":{"rendered":"When the Extended Family Vacations Together"},"content":{"rendered":"

A<\/span>s the weather warms, many folks are beginning to think about vacation season. As you make your plans, you might consider expanding the vacation to become multigenerational by including grandparents and great-grandparents, too\u2014for everyone\u2019s health and happiness.<\/p>\n

New research shows there are many benefits to the multigenerational vacation.<\/p>\n

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Photo contributed by Parkdean Resorts<\/p><\/div>\n

The Grandparent Boom<\/h3>\n

Due to an aging population around the world, there are now more grandparents and great-grandparents than ever before. There are so many, in fact, that some censuses are calling it the \u201cgrandparent boom.\u201d In both the U.S. and UK, for example, it\u2019s estimated that one in three people is a grandparent.<\/p>\n

A new study by Parkdean Resorts<\/a>, the UK\u2019s largest holiday park operator, and Aston University\u2019s biogerontologist, Dr. James Brown, shows that health and happiness are largely affected by family involvement. And what better way to keep the grandparents involved than by taking a multigenerational vacation?<\/p>\n

To investigate the benefits of a four-generation holiday, Dr. Brown recently conducted surveys and studies on Old People\u2019s Home for 4 Year Olds,<\/em> a TV series focused on a UK retirement home that recently opened a classroom setting in which preschoolers and nursing home residents can interact daily.<\/p>\n

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Photo contributed by Parkdean Resorts<\/p><\/div>\n

Multigenerational Travel in the U.S.<\/h3>\n

Although the studies were conducted throughout the UK, any cross-referenced research shows that many of the findings are exactly compatible with U.S. populations.<\/p>\n

Benefits of Multigenerational Travel<\/h3>\n

Dr. Brown found that multigenerational vacations have similar helpful effects on grandparents and great-grandparents. From his results, he notes that quality time with the family can positively affect anything from mood to memory to physical function.<\/p>\n

One of the most important benefits of a four-generation holiday is the reduction of loneliness in elderly adults. As Old People\u2019s Home for 4 Year Olds<\/em> <\/a>revealed, many older folks report feeling socially isolated and lonely. The Parkdean Resorts research shows that only about one-third of grandparents and great-grandparents have taken a multigenerational vacation in the past year.<\/p>\n

A multigenerational holiday can give older adults something to look forward to, which Dr. Brown believes is crucial. He said, \u201cWe found in both series\u2019 of OPHF4YO that many residents felt socially isolated and had little to look forward to. We know that psychology drives a lot of biology, so without a sense of purpose, biological systems can start to shut down and you can literally die of a broken heart. That\u2019s why it\u2019s essential to give older adults not just a sense of purpose but also something to look forward to.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research also revealed that more than 70 percent of grandparents and great-grandparents feel marginally happier after spending time with their grandchildren, and over half claim improved mental health. It\u2019s safe to say these results are unsurprising.<\/p>\n

Dr. Brown said, \u201cIntergenerational studies have shown that spending time with young children improves mental health almost immediately. Anybody who spends time around a happy child will feel happier; it\u2019s infectious. And nothing makes you happier than a holiday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mental improvement is not the only effect reported through these studies. One-third of the grandparents involved in the project claimed physical improvements, as well. Keeping up with those little adventurers is an exercise that is sure to unlock the youth in us all.<\/p>\n

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Photo contributed by Parkdean Resorts<\/p><\/div>\n

Where to Vacation With the Extended Family<\/h3>\n

Now that the question of who<\/em> you\u2019re traveling with is answered, let\u2019s think about where<\/em> you want to go. The good news is that there are numerous options for active, inclusive, adventurous vacations within the U.S. and the U.K. Vacations don\u2019t always mean heading to the airport.<\/p>\n

Drive down to the coast and spend days sitting on the beach with your family, toes in the sand and sun on your face. Spend a week in the city, touring museums and historical landmarks. Rent an RV and experience the wonders of the countryside by driving through national parks and eating at famous restaurants. The options, truly, are limitless.<\/p>\n

John Waterworth, chief executive of Parkdean Resorts in the U.K., said, \u201cA family getaway is a perfect opportunity to spend quality time together, away from the stresses of everyday life. It can remind older adults of the good old days, as many of them will have enjoyed UK holidays when they were younger, triggering a comforting sense of nostalgia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prompting nostalgic memories can be fundamental to keeping the brain young and improving memory function. Dr. Brown said, \u201cAutobiographical memory contains the information you have about yourself. And for most older adults, a UK holiday will trigger nostalgic thoughts like \u2018I can remember coming here when I was younger\u2019 or \u2018I can remember caravan holidays like this when I was a child.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t underestimate a grandparent\u2019s will for adventure. The positive effects of a four-generation vacation are boundless. And let\u2019s be honest: A big family holiday is beneficial to more than just our older relatives. Who knows what unmatched wisdom our grandparents might share when given the opportunity?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Multi-generational travel is healthy for everyone<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[109,111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-summer-2019","category-spring-summer-2019-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8819"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8819\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9148,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8819\/revisions\/9148"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}