Tips When Traveling With an Elderly

Just because you’re aging doesn’t mean you shouldn’t travel anymore. In fact, it’s the best time to go on a trip. You’ve spent your entire life working hard. It’s time to enjoy life, and traveling is a good thing. If you have an elderly loved one, you can go on a trip as a surprise. It would be memorable. Besides, while your loved one is still around, you have to create more fun memories. To avoid issues when traveling with the elderly, these are some tips to remember.

Book non-stop flights if possible

Non-stop flights might be costly in some cases, but they’re more convenient. You don’t want your elderly loved ones to keep getting on and off a plane. You also don’t want to ask your loved one to wait for several hours at the airport for a layover. The airport isn’t the most comfortable place even for healthy adults. You can only imagine how much worse it is for aging people. Don’t forget to choose daytime flights if possible so that the sleep pattern won’t be disrupted.

Look for possible discounts

There are senior discounts available for flight tickets, entrance to travel destinations, hotel accommodations, and many others. Make the most of these privileges. It also feels good to reduce your expenses especially if you’re traveling as a large group.

Look for disability options

Even when you’re traveling with a healthy aging person, it’s still a good thing to look for disability options. You can request for a wheelchair upon arrival at the airport. You can also ask for other services that a senior can benefit from. You want it to be as convenient as possible for everyone.

Check the validity of health insurance

If you’re traveling to another country, it helps if you can check the validity of the health insurance. You don’t know what’s going to happen. Aging people are prone to illnesses. Even if they left the country in an excellent health condition, things could turn around quickly. If it happens, you want to know that you’re not going to spend a lot since the health insurance is valid. You also need to secure travel insurance.

Create a checklist

You need to bring everything necessary for the trip. You’re going to travel several miles. You don’t want to turn around because you forgot something. Medicines are extremely important. If these are prescription medicines, don’t forget to bring the prescription. If you’re traveling a drug that could be illegal elsewhere, you need to research about it so you won’t be in trouble with security officers.

Traveling could mean a lot if you’re with the people you love. Yes, it can be time-consuming and exhausting to plan a trip with aging people. However, you shouldn’t deny them of that opportunity. If they want to travel, you have to find a way to make it happen. Not all of them would want to travel that far, but if they do, you have to plan it well.

Photo Attribution:

1^st and featured image from https://d26kajfrxb04kx.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Sixty-and-Me_Senior-Travel-Surprise-Vacations-Are-Actually-Splendid-for-New-Couples.jpg

2^nd image from https://upgradedpoints.com/air-travel-with-a-disability/