Generations Healthcare Management Blog | Senior Care Blog

Best Travel Tips for Seniors this Summer

Written by Michael Coury | Jun 12, 2017 4:11:34 PM

It’s the height of summer, which means many individuals and families are ready to take well-earned vacation.

Seniors are at the perfect time of life to still experience all the joys of travel. All it takes is a little pre-planning and a few of our favorite tips to get the most out of your travel experiences this summer.

  1. Make a Plan
    While it may sound obvious, it’s important to plan travel in your golden years ahead of time, especially if you’ll need to fly or drive for long hours. Think through things like comfortable hotel accommodations, access to emergency or medical services and mobility or handicap accessibility. The more you plan ahead, the better your overall vacation experience will be.
  2. Manage Your Meds
    Make sure you will have enough medication to last the duration of your trip without needing refills. If possible, divide up doses ahead of time and make sure you can access them easily. Always keep medications in your carry-on if part of your travel involves flying.
  3. Call Ahead
    Many airlines, hotels, cruises and other vacation destinations have special accommodations for seniors. Early boarding, better seating, transportation from gate to gate and even special discounts are often available. Call ahead to make arrangements so you never have to wait or wonder when it’s time to go.
  4. Mind Your Travel Time
    Vacations can easily be ruined by long, exhausting travel times to and from your destination. If flying, keep connections to a minimum, and fly during the middle of the day to avoid early rise times. If driving (or riding), avoid longer than six hours in the car per day.
  5. Keep Your Schedule Light
    Some vacationers like being active every minute of their time off, but now is the time to keep schedules a little more open. Take a tour in the morning, followed by a long afternoon by the pool or playing games indoors. Or even truly take a whole day to do absolutely nothing! You’ll still create great memories without feeling run-down halfway through your time away.

At Generations, we treat each person like family, learn more about our active senior communities in the Cleveland, Ohio area.