If you have elderly relatives, chances are you’ve been asked to help them out with a trip. While it is unlikely that they will be able to do everything on their own, there are still ways that they can prepare for a journey without too much difficulty. Here’s a list of the best tips for traveling with the elderly.

1) Research your destination and identify potential risks.

2) Consider bringing a friend or family member along with you to help.

3) Pack everything in one suitcase rather than bringing multiple suitcases.

4) Keep your documents and important information with you at all times.

5) Ask your doctor about any medications you need to take overseas and make sure they provide you with a letter regarding your medical situation and prescribed medicines

6) Plan to travel slowly.

7) Invest in travel insurance.

Researching your destination and identifying potential risks

The first step in preparing for a trip is to research your destination. Knowing more about your destination will help you identify potential risks. For example, if you’re going on a safari, you may need to keep your valuables more secure. If you’re going on a cruise, you may need to bring more water on board with you.

The climate at your location will also be a factor. In the colder climates you may have to carry more clothes. Whilst in the warmer climates, you will need to avoid too much exertion during the heat of the day.

Consider bringing a friend or family member along with you to help out

If you’ve got a trip planned and you’re traveling alone, it might be a good idea to bring a friend or family member with you. They can help by giving you a hand with some of the tasks that are difficult for you, like carrying your luggage.

They can also help you get situated at your destination while reducing the possibility of feeling lost or alone. If you’re traveling with your spouse, bringing them along is also an excellent idea. They can help you get around and are more likely to recognize something if something doesn’t go according to plan. Bringing another elderly person with you can also be helpful.

If you are bringing along an elderly person, make sure to pack for them too so they have all their necessities with them on the flight. They also need to always have their medication with them, so it’s best to carry what they need in their carry-on bag.

Pack everything in one suitcase rather than bringing multiple suitcases

Yes, it may be difficult to travel with an elderly relative, but it’s better than packing suitcases to suit their needs. Pack one suitcase for yourself and one for them, so that the weight of the suitcases are balanced. You may also want to bring a wheeled suitcase or trolley so that your loved one can wheel their suitcases behind them.

We have done a couple of backpacking trips with my parents, who at the time were well into their seventies. Fortunately, they were still both fairly active.

We went with backpacks for them and made sure that the weight in the packs was kept to a strict limit. By using backpacks, they still had their hands free. In this way they were able to support themselves when going on escalators or stairs.

Keep in mind that there are some places where you’ll need to bring a wheelchair or mobility scooter. Be sure to pack any necessary equipment that they will need before you leave on your trip.

Make sure that hand luggage is kept to a bare minimum. This is where all of the important documents and medications will need to be kept.

Keep your documents and important information with you at all times

If you are traveling as an elderly person, it is important to have all documents and important information on you at all times.

For example, speak to your regular G.P. and ask them to prepare a letter for you. The letter should give a brief history of your medical background, any treatment you are currently undergoing, and what medications you are on.

If you are traveling overseas, then your prescription from your home country will be invalid. You will have to go and see a doctor. By having this letter, at least the new doctor has a fighting chance of getting you back on track.

When my father’s hand luggage was lost while traveling between the Greek islands, it was a simple matter of going to the local hospital, showing the letter and explaining the situation. 15 minutes later we had a new prescription and we were away again.

It goes without saying that important identity documents should also be carried in your day bag with you. Things like passports, drivers’ licenses and bank cards are far too valuable to be left out of sight.

Ask your doctor about any medications you need to take overseas

It’s important to ask your doctor about the legality of medications that you will be taking overseas. Medications that may be common in your country, may well be banned at your destination. Some may be legal, but only if covered by a prescription.

Your doctor should be able to see what you can take with you. They may also alter your medication slightly so that you comply with local legislation.

When it comes to medications, prior preparation makes all the difference. Dividing them up into daily doses before you leave will make your trip a lot more stress free.

Even better is to get your pharmacist to package them up for you. They can put them into blister packs. These can be arranged for morning and night and have all of the relevant drug details listed on the packaging.

This makes things a lot less complicated, when you’re going through airport security checks.

Plan To Travel Slowly

Now, I don’t mean this in the sense that elderly people walk slower. Although, some certainly do.

What I mean is, don’t plan to be packing and unpacking your room every day to move to a new destination. This is an exhausting way of traveling.

Instead, look for bases. Find somewhere that you can stay for 4-5 days. Once your settled in and unpacked, then you can do day trips from there, just taking a small day bag.

This is generally a more relaxed way to travel anyway, even if you’re not elderly.

Invest in Travel Insurance

Personally, I believe that you should have travel insurance any time you travel, regardless of your age.

But the older you get, the more you need it. A simple stumble or fall for a 20-year-old, is a vastly different story for a 70-year-old. One that may require a lengthy hospital stay, or even repatriation home.

And these things are not cheap. The last thing you need is a brand-new mortgage on your house to cover a broken leg.

Many elderly people worry about the cost of travel insurance. Advancing age and a few pre-existing conditions can certainly drive up the price. But there are ways to good insurance at a more reasonable price.

I always use a comparison website. For me, I use Comparethemarket.com.au. If this doesn’t work in your country, there are bound to be plenty that do.

The important thing is to select what you don’t need. As a default, most travel insurance assumes that you will be driving a car and going snowboarding. If that’s not part of your holiday plan, then don’t pay for those bits.

With a comparison website you can tick which boxes you need and don’t need. They will then find insurance based on those choices. You can easily save 50% this way.

Conclusion

So, that’s it really. Plan well, get organized and take it slow. Also make sure all your documentation is sorted.

If you put the effort in before you start, then all travel can be a relaxing break. So, get out there and start making some memories.

Here are some other posts that you may find useful.

Budget family travel for beginners

What do I keep in my first aid kit

16 Tips to stay healthy while traveling

Cheers and happy travels.