7 Senior Travel Tips
Traveling for seniors is the best part of retiring!
Up Up And Away!
We’re coming up on the holiday season, which means that it’s a great time for getting out and about, traveling to our heart’s content. In many cases, the kids travel to see grandma or grandpa, but sometimes our elderly loved ones go to their children. How can our older loved ones be safe and still have a great time?
Bring plenty of protective clothing
Older individuals are more sensitive to temperature changes, or they might not be aware of the temperature at all. In both cases, they need to be protected from the elements, whether hot or cold. If you know that folks are going to be out and about, don’t forget that the sun still works in the winter – so pack some sunscreen.
Let the medical alert folks know when you get there
GPS equipped medical alert systems work in around 90% of the United States. When you first arrive, press the button to the medical alert folks and tell them that you’re on vacation. They’ll be able to temporarily update the information in case an emergency happens.
Be sure accommodations are safe
If grandma or grandpa is using a cane, walker, or wheelchair, it’s necessary that the places where they’re going are going to be able to accommodate him or her. The kids might not have the best house for this, but there are usually hotels and motels around. Re-framing it, you could make it a vacation for the entire family. You can get more ideas from our free fall prevention guide "50+ Ways To Prevent Falls" and make sure the hotel room is safe for your elderly family members.
Have the medical issues taken care of
We’re talking about prescriptions, charged medical alert bracelets, blood sugar testing kits, and all of the things which your loved one needs to be safe and happy. It can be a real drag to try to get prescriptions refilled in a different city outside of the provider network.
Go to the doctor beforehand
Before going on the trip, make sure that your loved one is able to go on the trip by checking with his or her primary care physician. There might be prescriptions which need to be refilled or other considerations that need to be made for the part of the country that you’re going to.
Create an Itinerary
For some of our elderly loved ones, planning is crucial. They will plan out events that are going to happen six months in the future. Create your list of things to do so that they can have something to look forward to and be more at ease with the trip that they’re taking.
Consider Diet
While on vacation during the holidays, it’s bound to happen that there might be some give and take with the diet. But, that diet will soon be returned to if 'being bad’ causes pain, heartburn, or other maladies. Make sure that there’s food that your loved one can eat.
Having a GPS enabled medical alert system is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to traveling. When you make sure that your loved one is safe, new memories can be created when everyone has a great time.
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