How Might You Travel With Your Cherished Elderly Relatives?
There’s nothing more important than family to most elderly people, because the wisdom of age and the years of experience they have helps them understand what really matters, and that’s other people.
As such, it’s quite common for us to plan adventures and trips with our elderly relatives, because it’s nice to spend quality time with them. Yet it’s also fair to say that the rigors of age can be somewhat draining after a while, and travel can be hard on even the fittest of us.
For this reason, learning to travel with our cherished elderly relatives means being conscious of their needs, planning ahead so you can enjoy everything you wish to, and also making compromises where it’s appropriate to do so.
In this post, we’ll discuss where you may find the most value in achieving that:
Plan Like You're Organizing a Small Military Operation
It’s good to put some plans in place just in case you need to care for your loved ones. Mobility can be a real issue, so you might want to look into renting wheelchairs at airports or booking ground-floor hotel rooms to avoid elevator discomfort. Don’t forget to pack extra medications, comfortable shoes for everyone, and maybe a cushion or two because airplane seats weren’t designed with anyone’s comfort in mind, let alone someone who’s been dealing with joint pain for the past decade.
Embrace The Scenic Route (Because You're Taking It Anyway)
Your elderly relatives probably aren’t interested in cramming seventeen tourist attractions into one day, as peaceful comfort is better than trying to be super productive here. They want to actually enjoy things, maybe sit on a bench and people-watch, take their time reading historical markers, and definitely stop for snacks more often than you think is humanly necessary.
This is actually pretty great because you’ll discover places you would have rushed past otherwise, and you’ll see the value in a patient and comfortable pace of life. It’s nice when you’re on vacation to experience life this way. You may even appreciate a slower road trip using RV parks along the way to keep that comfort with you!
Accept That Comfort Beats Adventure Every Single Time
Your elderly relatives have already proven themselves in life, so they don’t need to climb mountains or sleep in hostels to validate their travel Instagram. They just prefer clean and comfortable amenities, most often decent coffee, and somewhere comfortable to sit down without having to ask permission.
For that reason, don’t be afraid to go for comforts, or to use that hotel chain because it has an accessibility room they could use. We tend to have an idea of what “the best travel” is thanks to all our past experience and the advice we receive online, but there’s nothing bad about slow progress. Also if you prefer a package deal so you can enjoy your relatives more than anything, that’s fine too!
With this advice, we believe you’ll be better able to travel with your cherished elderly relatives, and have a great time doing so.