Senior Travel and a Anniversary
Are you planning to take a trip with a senior family member? I had the opportunity to take a client to a local Travel Clinic with some mixed results. Our provider was very thorough but as I looked at my friend who is 79 years old I wondered if all the detailed information about potential diseases you “might” get were overwhelming to listen to in one sitting. When we were walking out of the clinic she said she couldn’t take in all the information and it gave her a stomach ache just thinking about it. The staff handed her a folder with several printed pages on what to watch for during her trip and I have to say it was as thick as a small suburban phone book. The intention is to assist members so they have a safe and enjoyable trip but I have to believe that there’s a better way to do this information dump.
My friend said “I’m so glad you were with me, I wouldn’t be able to remember everything, you’re a gift.” What an honor to hear those words and to reassure her that I would review my notes from the staff recommendations as well as read all the material they gave her and create a short summary. I say I’m honored because I’ve always enjoyed my relationship with seniors. When I graduated from nursing school many years ago I was hired at a local nursing home and I found it suited me, later I worked in the home care & hospice industry. I think the reason I always liked working with seniors is because my grand parents died before I was born so I envied my classmates stories about their relationship with grandparents.Â
I’ve been doing research to help my friend prepare for her trip to Mexico later this year to see her grand daughter get married, she is traveling with family but we want her to be safe and have a fabulous time. As I review the tips and tricks for traveling with seniors I plan to summarize and share what I learn with my blogging audience in my September newsletter so watch for the next E-Newsletter later this month!
Tomorrow is Wednesday, September 16th and it’s the one year anniversary of my father’s death, he had a great life but I miss him very much.  My friend Joe sent my sisters and I a note and he reminded us today that last year there were four sisters to support each other and now there is one brother and only three sisters left; we lost our sister Faye (Susie) unexpectedly this spring. So if your parents are still alive and well; hug them, take them out for a while and have a nice visit, you’re really not that busy and do it whether you feel like it or not.
Still missing you Dad, Mom and Susie!
Love,
Mary
September 15, 2009
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Tags: aging parents, Senior Caregiving, senior travel · Posted in: Senior Caregiving
Mary Chapa is a multi-talented woman with a background in nursing management, sales and marketing in both healthcare and private industry. Mary is also a writer, storyteller and holistic health practitioner living in Minnesota.
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