One of the things I learned with my aging parent journey was that I needed to ask about the specifics of where my parents were staying when they traveled. It is important in case of an emergency.
How to avoid surprises when your senior travels is a great topic for conversation. You got used to your parents being adults and taking care of themselves, but as they age, the surprises or accidents are more likely to happen. Who is going to make sure they get what they need in an emergency? There comes a point when you will need to step up with the responsibility of keeping closer attention to the where, what and when of your aging parent’s travel activities.
What information should you get from your parents when they are traveling, or moving for the winter?
Planning helps when you’re busy. Last week I let a few things drop, got busy at work, hosted parlor games at my house, and then we caught colds late in the week. These are the facts of life. But when you have a plan, and stick to it, eventually things work out.
However, when it comes to our aging parents sometimes (most of the time), planning is not an option. I try to go with the flow for my Dad and pray that he is safe and happy. Sometimes, this catches up with me, like when I saw Dad’s birthday card on my work desk less than 24 hours before his birthday. I was even more disappointed when I realized I didn’t know his new address.
As some background, my Dad and his new wife moved to Arizona. I heard about the Arizona house, I’d seen pictures, but in my mind, the house was a vacation home, not a permanent relocation. I didn’t think I needed the address. I assumed his mail would catch up to him when he got home in a week or two.
Going back to the birthday card story, I got upset because I missed more than his new address. I didn’t have critical health information; what if he had a health crisis. Take it from me, as your parents’ age they get sick, go to the doctor more, and suddenly end up in the hospital. You need to have access to information quickly, and I didn’t even have his street address.
Make sure you are up-to-date with your parent’s information
During your next visit or phone call, make sure you are up-to-date with your parent’s vacation information:
- Name of the nearest hospital
- Current doctor information (names and numbers)
- Their new street address! (P.O. Box won’t help when you want that fabulous birthday gift delivered directly to the door.)
- The neighbor’s details in case of emergency
I pray that you won’t need this information, but it is certainly providing me peace of mind knowing that I have a plan in place!
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