Traveling and flying with seniors citizens can be a wonderful adventure, especially if you plan the trip with utmost care. Since age has taken its toll on your loved ones, however, they may face several challenges as they travel. If your journey is by air, your dearest ones will experience jet lag, some discomfort, possible injury, and even some illness. For these reasons, planning is key when you're thinking of having a trip with elderly parents. Here are effective tips that can help you plan an enjoyable and hassle-free adventure.
Table of Contents:
- Make the Travel Plans Easy on Your Senior
- Chose the Right Time of Day for Travel
- Travel with Family
- Carry Medication with You
- Plan Activities Sparingly
1. Make the Travel Plans Easy on Your Senior
Since you're traveling with seniors who need special senior care, book non-stop flights. Continuous flights are better than connecting flights, which may have several stop-overs, causing travel fatigue. Air travel without breaks leads to a seamless experience for senior citizens. They'll be able to sit back on their one flight and relax as they travel to your destination. Without having to change planes, the chances of missing a connection are non-existent. This can relieve a lot of stress for your whole group. Another pro of continuous flights is reduced travel time. You won't have to spend time waiting for multiple flights and walking through airports.
While non-stop flights could be more expensive and even longer than layovers, they're still more preferable. It's also a brilliant idea to avoid regional flights that don't offer a jet bridge at the airport. A flight of stairs can increase the risk of injury.
If you're traveling via car, you'll want to plan to make a lot of stops. While a non-stop flight will be more comfortable for your elderly loved ones, a non-stop car trip will not be. You'll need to give them plenty of chances to stretch their legs, go to the bathroom, and get refreshments.
2. Chose the Right Time of Day for Travel
As you travel with your dearest ones, senior care is critical. It may be tiresome for the elderly to travel in the early morning hours or at night. Remember, your seniors aren't as active as they were in their prime of life. Start traveling with them later in the morning or early afternoon. The journey will be less taxing on senior citizens.
3. Travel with Family
Senior citizens tend to feel most comfortable with people they know well, which often means their family members. If you're traveling with your elderly loved ones, make sure that they know everyone who they will be traveling with. This will put them at ease and allow them to rely on anyone in the party for anything they need. Traveling with family members will also make it easier on you since you won't be the sole person providing senior care on the trip.
4. Carry Medication with You
Seniors may need medication during the trip. Because of this, it's important that you carry medication with you and avoid placing it in checked luggage. It would be better to keep the medication in a tiny piece of carry-on luggage where you can find it without a hassle. Be sure to clearly label each medication and the bag where you're keeping it so that any member of your party can help provide senior care. You don't want to be caught searching for medication when your loved one needs it.
Another part of senior care is being prepared for medical emergencies. You may need to visit a doctor on your journey so you should make a list of medications and dosages for each senior citizen you're traveling with. This will help you be prepared for anything that comes your way.
5. Plan Activities Sparingly
Note that everything that senior citizens do might be at a slower pace than what you're used to. As a result, you'll have to slow down and allow the elderly to rest and take a breather more often.
How many activities can you plan a day? It depends on the trip's goals, but planning one activity or tour by lunch is less burdensome to the seniors. Ensure that you have breaks between your activities to help your loved ones reenergize themselves. If you want to do more activities or activities that are more physical, talk with your seniors and see if they would prefer to rest at the hotel or do a less taxing activity. Part of senior care is ensuring that you don't force them to keep up with your younger family members and they'll appreciate that you're thinking of them in your plans. Together, you can come up with an itinerary that's suitable for everyone.
If you travel with senior citizens who have mobility challenges, consider walking and parking in your plans. Find out about airport shuttles and other crucial services to ease the movement of seniors with limited mobility. Also, avoid excessive walking for older people with mobility problems to lessen the chances of falling.
Traveling with your aging loved ones requires careful planning and a dedication to providing senior care. Booking flights without breaks, traveling with family, and planning limited activities all lead to safe and enjoyable trips for everyone involved.
