Healthy Travel Plans

Many seniors who have the time and money to travel also have to deal with chronic health problems when they travel. Some preparations and common sense can help to make travel much more enjoyable.

• If you are traveling outside the country be sure to have all your paperwork in order. Many experts are recommending obtaining a passport for travel to Canada and Mexico as this may be required in the near future. Your local post office branch has the needed paperwork.
• Have a list of all medications you are presently taking to include correct dosage and instructions. A photocopy of the original prescription would be useful if you had to buy replacement medications due to loss.
• With your list of medications keep a short health history that includes all health conditions, prior surgical procedures and allergies to both food and medications.
• If you are going to a foreign country a small translation guide would be useful - earmark important words like pharmacy, hospital and doctor.
• I you use any medical equipment requiring a power source be sure to take along correct batteries or an adaptor.
• Check with your airline if you need to travel with syringes (for insulin) or any other type of equipment that may be prohibited due to security concerns.
• Discuss your travel plans with your doctor - he may be able to recommend a practitioner or hospital in the area you are traveling in should the need arise.
• Make sure you have health insurance coverage when you travel. Traditional Medicare will not cover you outside the country. Most commercial health insurance and Medicare HMO's will provide coverage for urgent and emergency medical care outside their coverage area. Check your policy to be sure. You can also purchase travel insurance.
• Make sure your immunizations are up to date, this includes an annual flu shot. A tetanus/diphtheria immunization should be obtained every ten years for adults. Other shots will depend on the region you are traveling. The CDC has a complete and up to date listing of health advisories and required immunizations.

A little preparation can go a long way in making for an enjoyable trip.