Consider renting a recreational vehicle (RV), especially when traveling with someone with restricted mobility. RVs make it easier to take along health equipment, like wheelchairs. Many are outfitted with special showers and lifts or getting in and out of the vehicle, and some have harnesses to easily help move someone around the RV.
Traveling with medicines
Make a list of all of your medicines or get a printout from your pharmacy. Keep that list, as well as a week’s worth of medicines, in a carry-on bag, plus extras of both in any stowaway luggage. “Verify that the quantity of medication you have is enough for your entire trip,” says Jeff McClusky, a pharmacy supervisor with CVS in Houston, Tex.
Make sure all your medicines, especially ones for pain, are legal outside of the U.S. Find out from your doctor if you can carry generic versions of your regular drugs—a foreign pharmacy or clinic is more likely to have them.
Travel medicine specialists
Check to see if health advisories have been issued for your destination. Flu shots are generally recommended for adults age 65-plus, especially if you’re going to be sharing close quarters with others, like on a cruise ship.
When traveling overseas, it’s possible you’ll need protection against illnesses you might not find in the U.S. “In South America, for example, you might encounter yellow fever. You and your physician should discuss the risk of catching a disease you might encounter while traveling, versus possible dangers from taking a medication designed to fight it,” says Gervais Frechette, M.D., a travel medicine specialist with offices in New York City and San Francisco.
Travel medicine specialists are a good source of advice for older travelers. They review your drug regimen and note any potential adverse interactions between travel-related medicines (such as malaria drugs) and your regular medications. You can also ask about insurance for overseas health costs.
Older travelers should visit a travel medicine clinic one to two months before their trip because their bodies may need more time to adjust to new medicines needed before leaving.
To find a travel medical specialist in your area, call 770-736-7060 or go to www.istm.org. The Centers for Disease Control has a toll-free hotline with recorded messages on travel-related health topics. Call 1-877-FYI-TRIP.
Finally, you may want to arrange a checkup with your doctor after you return. That’s especially true if you have a chronic condition, like diabetes or a heart problem, or your dream vacation involved weeks spent in an exotic locale away from regular medical care.