Travelling tips - Research and Plan 1

When travelling with an older person the trip may be to visit other family, maybe grand kids and great grandchildren.


 Maybe to see an old friend or relative.

 

It may be an adventure to a destination, a Bucket List location, aboard a cruise ship or even a return to a home of long ago. 

What ever your elderly travellers reason for wishing for travel is it should be embraced and encouraged .

Travelling with a parent, as they get older, is so much more special because you just don’t know what is around the corner.

That is one of the reasons mum and I started travelling together so much after years of just local holidays.

Her only sibling, a much younger brother, went from diagnosis to passing in 3 months. He had planned to do a trip back to their birth place, look up old friends, visit old houses, school, jobs.Relive and photograph his past.
 He had been thinking about doing it for years and had only booked it a couple of months before diagnosis.
Needless to say in the quiet times while he was ill that was something we talked about, how much he regretted not going sooner.
He talked about  how we had been doing the family history and was excited  to be going to the church we know had all the family baptisms marriages and funerals right back to the 1500's.

   (This ones for you Uncle Richard)


Leaving something for 'another day' or 'maybe next year'  seems so sad in hindsight, you just never know what your health might be 12 months down the track. Many travellers I know put off their dream trip when they were younger, and now can't see any way of actually making it happen.
It becomes clear that as the years pass, it doesn't get easier, your health issues increase, your mobility decreases,  you don't find the time, your family obligations don't evaporate and your other responsibilities only increase. If you don't make it happen, no one else will.

If your fit and healthy enough for the type of trip you are thinking of taking..just do it, find a way.
 It’s a cliche, but you’re not getting any younger, so just go for it.

I think there are a lot of myths about “old age” that people live into. I don’t understand the idea that adventure and a love of life are only for the “young”.

You don’t have to plan to go all the way around the world, see everything you've ever wanted to see  in one trip either. Start your adventure small and let it grow from there. 

Whether this is your first time travelling anywhere with an elderly parent, or  just your first time overseas with them , paying attention to the special needs of  Elderly Travellers can help the trip go more smoothly.

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Research and Plan Ahead

Before any flights are booked discuss your plans with your elderly travellers doctor, Make sure they agree that the traveller is fit to travel.
See my blog entry Before you go -medical
Get  a doctor clearance letter and then look at Travel Insurance.
If your Elderly Travellers medical background or condition make obtaining Travel Insurance too expensive or impossible, then you might have to rethink the whole trip.


If you can, then do

You have Travel Insurance lined up, you know what part of your travel budget this accounts for then the planning can begin.

Research and Plan 2