For seniors, engaging in various activities is always a good practice. And one such activity that older people want to do more is traveling. But it can also be a surprisingly challenging effort at their age. So, home health care provider Amavi offers some handy tips on making those trips all the more worthwhile for them.
Why Travel Is A Great Activity For Seniors
Before we get into that, you might be curious about why travel should be an essential part of seniors\ lives. As it turns out, it brings them various benefits. And these can pave the way for a better life during those years.
The Health Benefits
As we have already mentioned before, exercise is a good way for older people to stay fit and healthy. And traveling can be considered the ultimate form of exercise. After all, you will be moving a lot most of the time.
Some of the health benefits that you can get from frequent travel include:
- Better heart health: Statistics show that frequent travelers are 32% less likely to die from heart diseases.
- Improved bone and muscle health: The constant movement can help you strengthen your bones and maintain healthy muscle mass.
- Improved bodily functions: Traveling can help you reduce your weight, which improves plenty of things like lower cholesterol and blood sugar. That helps fend off chronic illnesses.
These alone should be a strong incentive for you to travel as frequently as possible.
Improving Mental Health
Beyond the physical, travel is also great for your mental health. Foremost this is that traveling can help you lower your stress levels. Seeing new sights will help you clear your thoughts and refocus your mind.
Additionally, it can help an older person’s mental cognition. Places like museums, libraries, and other educational centers can help them learn new things. Meanwhile, bringing them to familiar locals can help in improving memory.
The activity also helps ease boredom. That is something often overlooked in senior health, especially for those living alone. Traveling lets them take a break from the monotony of daily activities and find new things to9 do.
Boosting Social Health
Socialization is another area seniors might want to do more. Through traveling, they can get together with loved ones they might not have seen for a long time. Additionally, it is a great opportunity to meet new people who they can interact with. That helps them get a new perspective on life.
The Challenges Of Traveling For Seniors
Of course, traveling is not always easy for people of older age. There are challenges that they will face wherever they head out. These can dampen the fun they might have.
The Challenge of Mobility
The first hurdle that an elderly traveler needs to overcome on any trip is moving around effectively. With their weaker bodies, it can sometimes be hard traveling on foot. Sometimes, they might find themselves tired after just a short walk.
There is also the challenge of navigating the various locations. Things like poor eyesight and hearing can often make it hard for them to make sense of signs and directions. That can sometimes be aggravated by the fact that some signs might not be senior-friendly.
Accommodation Challenges
Another common issue that seniors face when traveling is the use of accommodations. As is with the above, they might have difficulty understanding the information about these. There is also the difficulty using these, especially those with physical limitations.
Technology can also be a hurdle for traveling seniors. For instance, they might not be accustomed to using electronic self-service terminals. With that, they might need some form of assistance to handle these tech concerns.
How Seniors Can Make The Most Out Of Their Travels
To get the most out of their travel experience, seniors should be and ready. Here are some great tips you and your older loved ones should remember before heading out.
Make The Necessary Arrangements
Whether it is an out-of-the-country trip or just heading to the next state, you want safeguards in place. Travel insurance is a must, as it can protect you and your older loved ones during the trip. Get the insurance with a Cancel For Any Reason clause. That can be handy in case some situations could affect the trip.
You also need to book the accommodations early. When booking things like hotels and restaurants, ask whether they have elderly accommodations. You also want to check if they have special services relevant to any conditions you or your loved ones might have.
Beyond these, it would be a good idea to request assistance even at this early time. Depending on the availability, the destination can have personnel assigned to meet and assist you upon arrival. That saves you the hassle of requesting it at the front desk upon arrival.
Personal Preparations
You would also want to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is accomplished before heading out. Put all the personal documents your elderly loved ones might need in one location. In particular, you should have all the essential medical documents. Make at least three copies of these documents so you have reserves in case you lose them.
When packing you or your older loved ones’ luggage, go light. Our goal should be to have only one rollover and one carryover’s worth of luggage. That will make it easy for you to move these around. You will also be free to assist your loved one more.
Get The Help That You Need
Surprisingly, you can also get plenty of travel help from a home healthcare provider like Amavi. As part of our services, we can provide you with various support services for your travels. To start, we can handle the prep work for your medical paperwork. That will save you the hassle of scrambling around as the day of your trip approaches.
Additionally, we can provide physical assistance services like drivers to bring and fetch you or your loved ones from the airport. This is better than regular valet services since we already take the condition of seniors into account. Depending on the destination, we may also be able to accompany as needed.
Have Fun Senior Traveling With The Best Home Health Care
Who says that seniors can’t be jet-setters? With the right preparations, you can enjoy various places and discover new things as you roam about. And we are ready to accompany you on that journey and provide the best home health care. Just give us a call today.