The holidays are one of the best times to get together with your family. For many of us, that means traveling to see the ones we love. As family dynamics change, you may be taking several generations with you on your holiday travels. What can you do to make things easier for the older members of your family, especially those who are receiving senior home care services? Here are five tips for traveling with senior citizens from the staff at TLC Your Way Home Care.
- Be understanding – Traveling can be stressful on seniors, especially during the holidays. Be patient and respectful of their needs as you travel to your destination. Try placing yourself in their shoes during the holidays.
- Pack carefully – When helping your family member pack, make sure you pack the essentials, like medications, warm clothes, and any other items they need each day. Also make sure to bring their doctors’ contact information with you.
- Keep the trip calm – Being surrounded by lots of noise and activity can frustrate your older family members. Keep an eye on them to make sure things don’t get too frantic. Also make sure to keep regular routines. Too much change to a schedule can be very hard, especially for seniors who are suffering from dementia or other health problems. Do all you can to keep your trip nice and easy.
- Plan frequent rest stops – Take breaks so everyone can get out and stretch. This can especially be helpful to seniors, since long hours of sitting can be painful.
- Come to them so they don’t have to travel – Finally, if your senior family member struggles when traveling, see if other family members are willing to make the journey to see them. Visiting your loved one where they live can be a meaningful gift to them this holiday season.
No matter what type of senior home care services your family needs, you can call TLC Your Way Home Care for help when you need it. We wish you and yours a very happy holiday season!