July 99
Travel Tips for Seniors |
| Are
you taking advantage of your free time to explore the globe? Join us on one of our
trips! |
The free time that comes with retirement gives
seniors ample opportunity to explore the globe. Seniors, in fact, make up a large
proportion of the tourist market both domestically and internationally. But being a little
older can make these travelers a bit more susceptible to certain travel-related health
problems.
For a safe trip, heed these tips:
- Make sure your itinerary is not too demanding for you or your companions.
- Visit your doctor and dentist before an extended trip; schedule appointments enough in
advance to take care of any health problems well before your departure date.
- When traveling to areas in which infectious diseases are a threat, consult your doctor
several months in advance to assure time for immunizations. Many large university
hospitals have travel clinics, which have
the latest information on necessary
immunizations, and precautions for travel to remote (and not so remote) areas. The U.S.
Centers for Disease Control also maintains a web site with this information.
- If you are being treated for an ongoing medical condition, carry copies of your medical
records.
- Carry a good supply of your prescription medications and keep them with you, not packed
in your suitcase. Take along non-prescription pain relievers, such as aspirin or ibuprofen
and over-the-counter antacids and antidiarrheal medications.
- Take along a spare pair of eyeglasses.
- When traveling to areas with poor sanitation or disease-control measures, avoid drinking
unbottled water (including ice cubes and tap water for brushing your teeth). Also avoid
raw and undercooked seafood as well as unpeeled fruits and vegetables. The food you eat
should be fully cooked and served HOT.
- For additional protection against traveler's diarrhea, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention recommends using Pepto Bismol or an antidiarrheal. You can take these
safely, several times daily with meals, for up to three weeks --EXCEPT if you are already
taking salicylate products (for example, aspirin for arthritis). If diarrhea
becomes severe, or contains traces of blood, seek medical attention immediately.
- When traveling in mosquito-infested regions, use insect repellent containing the
compound DEET. Mosquitoes are responsible for spreading yellow fever, dengue fever,
encephalitis, and malaria.
- Check your health insurance policy. If it doesn't cover you for treatment outside the
U.S.A. -- including emergency evacuation by air ambulance to a major medical center --
consider purchasing travel health insurance (ask your travel agent).
- If you need medical care while abroad, go to the largest university hospital or consult
the hotel concierge.
Senior Care Preferred offers some overnight trips throughout the
year. Two of our upcoming trips include a seven day tour of Cape Cod, Massachusetts
and a seven night cruise to the western Caribbean. Make sue to check our calendar
of events!
|
Contact Us:
Senior
Care Preferred
1-513-585-6462
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Travel
Warnings |
Stay
Safe--"Visit" the U.S. State Department's listing of travel warnings from around
the world.
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