Holiday Travel Tips for Seniors
This season is a really common time for family travel, especially around Thanksgiving and the Winter holidays, which are right around the corner. Traveling can be fun, but it can also be quite stressful and can take a lot out of you if you aren?t careful. This is especially true for seniors.
Traveling as a senior can be very strenuous. It can lead to illness and confusion and it can make any senior very tired when everything is said and done. Any senior planning on taking a trip this season, whether they are driving a few hours or flying across the country, needs to be prepared with a few travel tips.
Travel doesn?t have to be overly stressful, just keep these tips in mind first.
- Load up on the vitamin C first. Seniors are already prone to getting sick during this time of year, but their chances increase even more when they are traveling. Stress, lack of sleep and being in tight quarters on planes and buses around sick people can all put seniors at risk when they travel. Giving the immune system a boost ahead of time with plenty of vitamin C and water can help ward off illness.
- Keep medications handy. Seniors should always pack a purse, fanny pack or small backpack with all of their necessary medications or any medications they may need for when they travel. Think of this as a traveling medicine cabinet. It is always best to be as prepared as possible, and to make sure that this bag stays handy at all times, whether it is on a plane or when you are spending a day at a relative?s house.
- Comfort is key. It is easy for seniors to want to push it while they are traveling in order to keep up with everyone else they are spending time with. Seniors should always make sure that they are wearing comfortable shoes, bringing a light jacket wherever they go and doing their best to know their own limits. There are so many seniors who ultimately get sick after they travel because they have stressed themselves out. This doesn?t have to be necessary.
- Ask for help. There are many resources available for senior travelers, which is why no senior should feel bad asking for help. Seniors should try to travel with someone else, arrange for transportation when getting to and from the airport and take advantage of priority airline boarding for seniors. Travel can be stressful, but there are free resources available that can help.
The biggest thing for seniors to remember when traveling is that preparation is key. The more time they take to make sure all of the details are covered?the better off they will be. There is no such thing as being too prepared when it comes to traveling as a senior, and little tips like this can go a long way in helping any senior have a safer and more enjoyable travel experience.
Author Profile
- Lori Thomas has decades of experience as a caregiver. Her writing for SeniorAdvice.com is informed by years of research as well as hands-on family experience caring for her now late mother, who had chronic health issues for most of her life. Lori is an integral part of the SeniorAdvice.com management team, acting as Vice President of Marketing and Chief Editor.
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