Senior Travel Tips

With the harsh, winter weather quickly approaching, many older adults choose to travel. They choose to escape the snow, ice and cold temperatures for a more luxurious winter of warm weather and sunshine. With school in session, popular travel destinations are often less crowded and can be booked at a cheaper rate. Before traveling this winter, here are some tips you should consider as a senior for safe and healthy travels.

Senior Travel Safety

• Make plans to update your vaccinations if you are traveling out of the country. Prior to leaving the country, you may be required to receive certain shots – keep in mind that certain vaccinations need to be given up to six weeks before your travel plans occur.
• Have a discussion with your doctor. Talk to your doctor about any travel precautions you should take. If you are planning to be gone for an extended period of time, a physical can be a great idea before you leave.
• Ask questions about your current medications. If you are crossing time zones, ask your doctor if your medication schedule should change. If you are entering a culture with a wide-variety of different foods, ask your doctor if any foreign foods will interact differently with your current medications.
• Protect yourself from deep-vein thrombosis. Older adults are more at risk for developing deep-vein thrombosis, which can cause blood clots to form in your veins. This is especially common when sitting for extended periods of time – such as on a plane, train or in a car. Ask your doctor about the use of compression stockings before leaving for your trip.
• For your safety in the event of an emergency ( and for an easier trip through customs with medication), ask your doctor to write down medical conditions you are being treated for, your current medications and their dosages and how much medication you should be taking on your trip. This can also make it easier to obtain medication should your medication become misplaced with traveling.