Safety Tips for travelling with Grandparents
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
If you have the good fortune of having healthy grandparents, taking them along on family vacation can bring about many special memories that will last a lifetime. Consequently, precautions should be taken when traveling to ensure that no medical emergencies occur whether you are traveling by car or plane. A few summers ago, I had the privilege of picking up my grandmother in Chicago and driving her back home to Pittsburgh, which was about a 500-mile journey. Under normal circumstances, I would have no problem driving 500 miles in less than a day, but I decided that it wasn’t a good idea to keep Gram cooped up in my Honda Accord coupe for a full day so I split the drive over 2 days. One risk associated with elderly travelers is deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Frequent stops along the way so that the older ones can stretch their legs and walk around a bit, are essential to prevent issues with circulation. If your grandparents are flying with you, taking blood thinners and wearing elastic compression stockings are other precautions they can take. Additionally, excessive heat isn’t good for people that suffer from circulation problems. In general, it’s a good idea to keep a copy of their medical history close at hand or easily attainable in the event of an emergency. Also, if your grandparent requires medication injected with a syringe or needle, they should have a copy of a letter from a doctor stating this is medically necessary as these types of items are routinely confiscated by airport security during baggage checks. For more information on elderly travel, visit the State Department’s website at http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/tips_1232.html#senior_travel.
Next post: Animals Galore at the Bronx Zoo, New York
Subscribe to RSS Updates