Benefits of travelling for seniors

As our bones begin to thaw, this is the perfect time to begin travel plans with your aging relatives – it gives them something to look forward to as we await the warm temperatures.

At any age, travel gives the mind a break from the everyday and allows one to expand his or her horizons. But for seniors, travelling to a favourite city or an undiscovered place can offer an opportunity of rebirth. It gives them something to look forward to after an isolating, cold and icy winter.

Travelling also forces an aging brain to exercise its cognitive skills by planning ahead and staying focused. Because so many fraudsters target seniors, practising safety precautions ahead of time while at home is one way to prepare their thought processes before travel go abroad. Even researching and comparing the cities, air fare and accommodations allow seniors to shift their brains into thinking about something new and unknown.

Although travelling for a senior means that the days of 65-pound backpacks and hostel rooms shared with eight other strangers are over, it doesn’t mean that they can’t seek adventure. Seniors may opt for resorts or hotels that cater to an older demographic but they can also register for walking tours, hikes, or senior activities which will allow them enjoy a more reasonably-paced exploration.

A few quick tips:

1. Plan ahead. Especially for seniors that have health concerns, it’s important to ensure that all medications and vaccinations are in order and that health insurance will cover you abroad.
2. These days it’s relatively easy to purchase a prepaid mobile phone for travel purposes. This might be a good idea if a senior is headed for a more obscure travel location.
3. If mobility is an issue, ensure you check that service providers can offer proper accommodations like access to a wheelchair at an airport, and working elevators or a ground floor room at a hotel.
4. Especially with extra-long flights, ensure that seats booked are near the lavatory and remember to wear proper footwear and clothing, like specialty travel socks.