Airline Travel: Tips For Older Adults

Flying is one of the most popular and convenient ways to travel– especially for older adults who have chronic health conditions.

If your older loved one has not traveled by plane recently you might consider volunteering to help her prepare for the trip so it will be as pleasant and care-free as possible. Begin to make travel arrangements together as soon as you decide where your final destination will be and when you would like to arrive. If the journey takes you to unfamiliar places consider asking a travel agent to help you plan your trip. He or she can find the best air fare rates, the most convenient flights, make arrangements for car rentals and hotel reservations, and suggest restaurants.

Managing Medications

Plan to take all medicines and other essential health-related items with you on the plane instead of packing them in a checked bag. If the bag is lost, so are the medications and it may be difficult to replace them on the trip.

• Prescription medications: Each medication must be in the original pharmacy container with your loved one's name on it. Make sure it's the same name as the one on his or her ticket.
• Non-prescription medications: Be sure to keep non-prescription medicines in their original containers too. If you're on a short trip, bring along small size containers or buy small packages of your loved one's over-the-counter drugs if he or she runs out.
• Diabetes medications: Be sure to pack insulin and diabetes medications in their original containers along with packages of syringes, and copies of the prescriptions. If your loved one uses insulin, estimate how many syringes he or she may need on the trip (plus a few extra) and a device that removes needles from syringes.

Airline regulations recommend that passengers with carry-on prescription and over-the counter medications keep them in transparent zip-lock plastic bags.

Relax and Enjoy the Ride!

Even a short flight can get boring after a couple of hours. In-flight meals and snacks aren't especially tasty and are usually free for first-class passengers only. You and your older parent have already finished your “People Magazine” before you got off the ground! Some suggestions to keep you and your travel companion comfortable and as relaxed as possible while you're in the air (or waiting to take off)

• Play cards.
• Nosh on peanut butter crackers, chips, pretzels, raisins and other healthy snacks.
• Bring along a book by your favorite author or current.magazines.
• Study a map of your destination.
• Get out of your seat and walk up and down the aisle a couple of times.

Before you know it you'll be at your destination!