There is no getting around the fact that as your parents age, traveling becomes more of an ordeal. They might become more intimidated at the thought of flying as they age, and you might worry about their comfort and safety when they travel by air. However, if a certain family event such as a wedding or reunion is in the works and your parent doesn’t want to miss it, you will have to find the means to help the fly comfortably.
While you are going to be facing a challenge, particularly if your parent struggles with an underlying health condition or anxiety about flying, there are ways of making the trip easier on everyone involved.
Here are a few tips that can help you plan a stress-free trip for your aging parent.
Allow an Expert to Handle Things
Did you know there are such things as flight nurses whose job it is to take care of the elderly or disabled when they need to be transported by air?
While such nurses are tasked with assisting in emergency transport situations, there are services out there that allow you to hire a flight nurse for elective travel purposes as well.
Moreover, there are options, such as the ones found at https://www.flyingangels.com/, that provide an entire range of travel assistance.
You can have a professional who is well-versed in what it takes to help a senior travel safely and comfortably coordinate the entire trip for you. They will accompany your parent while they fly and administer any necessary medical care.
With an expert to handle things for you, you will wonder why you were ever stressed in the first place.
Pick Accommodations Wisely
The needs that your aging parent might have in regard to their accommodation might be another thing that is challenging about your trip. You want to make sure that you are located near the event that you are traveling for, but you also want to consider any needs that your parent might have.
Finding the perfect balance can be difficult, but as long as your parent’s accommodations are equipped with a few key things, then all should be well.
First and foremost, you should take mobility into consideration.
Does your parent use a walker or cane to get around? Are they in a wheelchair? Can they walk independently but struggle with things like stairs? If any of these apply, you will need to make sure that the accommodations you choose will work.
Most major hotel chains have rooms designed to accommodate the elderly or disabled.
You will want to book well in advance so that you can be sure to get one before they are booked up. Depending on your parent’s particular mobility situation, you might be able to make things work so long as the room they are in is located on the first floor.
Be sure to call ahead to ask about special accommodations for seniors.
