Summer Travel with the Elderly Requires Additional Planning

Plan ahead for terrific summer travel.

by Lynn Wilson, Co-Founder of The CareGiver Partnership

As we welcome summer and the travel that goes with it, we remind our readers that traveling with a senior family member, or someone with limited mobility or other physical challenges, requires extra planning.

Family travel can be highly rewarding, but it has the potential to be stressful as well. If you’re traveling with an elderly loved one, the key to success is in planning, and that may include stocking up on products that make travel safer and easier. Here are some suggestions:

• Fun in the sun often means swimming, and the SoSecure Swim Brief makes it possible for a man, woman, teen, or child with urinary or bowel incontinence to feel confident in the water. This machine-washable garment is designed to be worn next to skin, under a swimsuit, for maximum normalcy and convenience.

• Incontinence products come in a multitude of styles and absorbencies to meet the needs of any traveler. From high-capacity briefs for long trips, to premium products that look and feel like regular underwear, to protective pads for beds and furniture, incontinence no longer has to ruin a trip.

• Support stockings offer compression that improves circulation and relieves swelling in legs and feet, especially important after sitting for prolonged periods. When driving with someone who’s elderly or disabled, allowing time for frequent stops for walk breaks and stretching makes a trip more enjoyable.

• A CarCaddie by Stander lends a helping hand to seniors getting in and out of vehicles. This portable handle attaches in seconds to a vehicle’s upper door frame. It’s also ideal for preventing slips and falls in icy winter weather. Stander’s other products, such as the CouchCane — being given away by The CareGiver Partnership in its June sweepstakes — helps seniors stay safe and mobile at their travel destinations.

• In addition to sunscreen, elderly skin requires proper cleansing, moisturizing and protection from irritation. When managing incontinence, it’s especially important to use skin care products made for maximum comfort and odor control.

About The CareGiver Partnership. The CareGiver Partnership helps caregivers and their loved ones

Call our team of specialists. We're here to help!

with answers to their caregiving questions, including information about home health care products and supplies, from our Wisconsin-based team of Product Specialists who are all current or former caregivers. The company’s Web site provides the largest online library of resources on subjects most important to caregivers — from arthritis to assisted living, and Parkinson’s to prostate cancer — as well as access to more than 3,000 home care products for incontinence, skin care, mobility, home safety and daily living aids. The CareGiver Partnership was founded in 2004 by Lynn Wilson of Neenah, Wis. Visit http://www.caregiverpartnership.com to learn more or call 1-800-985-1353.

Watch this video on how new seats help seniors get in and out of vehicles.