Caregiving

Planning Holiday Travel With a Senior Loved One?

Planning a trip with a senior loved one can be challenging. You want them to enjoy their experience and feel included. At same time, you want them to be safe.

While planning holiday travel, you may find yourself asking…

Will it be fun for the entire family?
Is it going to be difficult to get there?
It is safe?

All of these questions can be daunting, especially if you’ve never planned a trip with an older adult. Here are a few things to consider when planning holiday travel with your senior loved one.

Be Considerate of Normal Age-Related Changes

When planning your trip, be mindful of the changes that occur with age. Your loved one may walk a little slower, tire faster, and require more breaks than the rest of your family.

You can be considerate by doing the following:

Choose a hotel where everything is nearby to reduce the amount of walking.
Book a non-stop flight for simplicity.
Avoid traveling to places where the terrain is rough.
Schedule lots of free time between activities to allow your loved one time to take breaks without feeling like they are missing out.

Be Proactive About Accommodations

Disabilities and mobility issues are common deterrents for planning a trip with older adults, but they don’t have to be. There are plenty of accommodations you can request to make your loved one’s experience safer and more comfortable. The trick is to request them early. Here are a few you may want to consider:

Reserve an accessible hotel room. They fill up quick, so do this as soon as you know where you are staying.
If you’re flying, notify the airline about your needs in advance. Will your loved one need a wheelchair or boarding assistance? Do they need to borrow a wheelchair from the airport, or will they bring their own?
Inform the airline or cruise line of any dietary restrictions your loved one has. This will give them time to prepare and make sure they have food your loved one can eat.

Get Travel Arrangements Cleared With the Doctor

Once you figure out the logistics, get your travel plans cleared with your loved one’s doctor. You may want to ask about the following:

If your loved one is okay to travel. If you are flying, let the doctor know. If you are going a cruise, tell them.
Discuss medications. Are you traveling to a new time zone? Ask if they should modify the times they take their medication.
Talk about vaccines. Are there any vaccinations they should get?
Get a list of all medications and dosages. This will be extremely helpful if your loved one needs to refill a prescription while on vacation.

What to Do if Your Loved One Can’t Travel

Consider bringing the family to them. If your loved one is not cleared to travel, consider bringing your family to them. They will appreciate you making the extra effort to include them.
Schedule respite care. If travel is not possible or your loved one doesn’t feel comfortable traveling, you may want to consider respite care for the duration of the trip.

Most senior living communities offer respite care, including the Heritage Senior Communities locations across Michigan. To learn more about respite care, contact the Heritage community nearest you.

Shelley