Pennsylvania can be a beautiful place to live, but as cooler weather approaches, you may find yourself wanting to get away to warmer climates. Taking a vacation with your elderly parents can be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone as long as you plan accordingly. Perhaps you are all heading to a family reunion or are planning to visit family during the upcoming holidays.
Your elderly parents may have special needs that you have to take into account while planning your trip. At Age in Place Home Care, your premier home care service provider for seniors in Pennsylvania, we would like to offer the following tips for trip planning, so everyone will enjoy their time away.
Make Special Arrangements Depending on Your Mode of Travel
If you are traveling by car, make sure you plan to take more frequent rest stops than you would on your own. If you are traveling to a warmer climate to get away from the cool fall or coming winter temperatures, make sure that there are snacks and especially drinks available in the car. The elderly are particularly prone to dehydration, and it can be especially deleterious to them. If you’re planning to take a plane to your destination, make sure to line up any wheelchair or other special needs assistance with the airline well in advance so there’s no last minute problems.
Ensure You Have All Their Medications and That They are Properly Labeled
The last thing you want to have to be doing while away on a trip is having to call and run out to a local pharmacy to fill your elderly parent’s prescriptions. You want to have a good time too, so make sure all their medications are squared away before getting in the car or taking a cab to the airport.
Be Sure You Take Any Special Needs Into Consideration When Booking Accommodations
If your parents will require handicap access for their room, be sure to mention this when making your reservations. Handicap accessible accommodations are readily available at most hotels but may require booking a little ways in advance at rental homes, cottages or resorts.
Your parents may also have special medical needs beyond prescription drugs. Before leaving on your trip, be sure to research local medical equipment rental companies to ensure they’ll have access to everything they need to enjoy the trip as well.
Set up Any Needed Home Care Assistance While Away
At Age in Place Home Care, we are well aware that some seniors have special needs when it comes to their care. You may not be able to be with them every moment of the day while on your trip. If your parents need Alzheimer’s care or other more involved senior home care while away, you’ll need to line this up with a reputable agency well in advance. Dementia home care requires a fairly specialized set of care services, and you need to check references to ensure your parents are in good hands while you are apart from them on your trip.
Here for All Your Senior Home Care Needs
Our home care agency realizes that you have a lot of things on your plate and that many of us need some help with our elderly parents at times. Whether you are taking a trip to Pennsylvania and need short-term elderly care for a loved one or live here and require long-term senior home care, we are available to help. We offer dementia home care services for those who require Alzheimer’s care, and our home care agency is second to none when it comes to taking care of your elderly parents.