When traveling with your elderly parents or grandparents, you’re bound to make life-long memories along your journey. However, there are some things that you should consider before booking your tickets. To accommodate your loved one’s mobility limitations, you’ll need to plan accordingly. Schedule visits to tourist attractions with handicap-accessible ramps, trams to transport you from place-to-place, and a supply of wheelchairs for visitor use.
The following six tips will help make traveling with your elderly parents or grandparents a bit easier for those with mobility restrictions and those able-bodied folks, alike.
Avoid places and activities that require long-distance walking
Your elderly parents or grandparents may be able to walk on their own but only for short distances. If this is the case, make sure that your travel plans don’t require any long-distance walking. You’ll need to consider walking distances when scheduling trips to tourist attractions like theme parks and when moving around the airport or even your hotel. If you wear-out your elderly loved ones early in the day, they’ll have to spend the majority of the trip resting in their hotel room.
Purchase a travel-friendly mobility chair
If you’re worried about your elderly parents or grandparents’ range-of-motion, you should purchase a travel-friendly mobility chair. These chairs are a lot more affordable than you think are definitely worth the investment if you plan on traveling a lot.
If you aren’t sure what to purchase, a mobility chair like this will be the perfect addition to any vacation. A mobility aid customized to your parents or grandparents’ restrictions will allow your loved one to move around with ease without tiring.
With the right support, these elderly folks won’t need to exert nearly as much energy as they would with a cane. Your parents and/or grandparents may be able to keep up with their able-bodied family members when riding around in their mobility chair. Fortunately, a lot of travel destinations are mobility-chair friendly, making it easy for your loved ones to maneuver around an amusement park, a national park, or a lakefront resort. Overall, a mobility chair is a perfect solution for those travel-hungry elderly folks who want to explore the world but still have limited mobility.
Plan frequent breaks throughout the day
When you’re traveling with your elderly parents or grandparents, you shouldn’t constantly be on-the-go. To accommodate your elderly loved ones’ mobility restrictions and medical conditions, you’ll need to take breaks often.
When planning ahead, make sure you devote time for breaks. Don’t be in a rush to move from one activity, especially when downtime is so essential. Even these 10 to 15-minute breaks will be enough time for your elderly parents or grandparents to recharge and feel energized enough to continue your adventures.
In addition to scheduling breaks, encourage your loved ones to speak up if they need a break. It’s not uncommon for elderly parents or grandparents to trudge through the pain when they don’t want to feel like a burden. Reassure them that it’s okay to take a break in the interest of their physical health.
Consider dietary restrictions when choosing restaurants
There’s a good chance that your elderly loved one has dietary restrictions. Keep this in mind when researching restaurants to visit at your destination. Don’t just assume that there will be menu options for them at every restaurant. Try to find menus online for each of the restaurants that pique your interest. Then, share those menus with your elderly parents or grandparents and have them review their options. If they don’t have several different options to choose from, look for another restaurant in the area.
Carry a backpack with essential supplies
When you’re traveling with elderly folks, you’ll need to keep essential supplies on-hand. In the case of emergency, carry a backpack with you that’s filled with all of the items that you and your loved ones will need. It should include things like medications, sunscreen, water bottles, and snacks.
By carrying a backpack with you that’s filled with the bare essentials, you can ensure that you’ll have whatever your elderly parents or grandparents will need at all times. You won’t have to go rushing back to your hotel room to reapply sunscreen or rehydrate when you have supplies right within reach.
Seek their input as much as possible
It’s important that your parents or grandparents feel as included as possible. Don’t avoid filling them in on your travel plans just because they’re elderly. Always seek their input when making travel-related decisions. Get their opinion on things you can do and see, places to eat, and which hotels would be best to stay at. Even if you’re paying for the entire vacation, they should still feel as if they have a say on your vacation agenda.
Conclusion
You shouldn’t put-off traveling with your parents or grandparents just because they’re elderly. When you utilize the tips mentioned above, you’ll be able to enjoy the trip-of-a-lifetime with your elderly loved ones, despite any mobility limitations that they may have.