How to Travel Safely As an Older Adult

There’s no reason to slow down seeing the world as we get older. With most older adults finding themselves with more time and freedom than they had in their earlier years, our later years can be a particularly meaningful time to travel. Here are our top tips for traveling as an older adult.

Tailor the Destination to Your Needs

To avoid a difficult trip, tailor where you go to your individual medical needs. If you have arthritis, for example, you’ll want to avoid a trip focused on strenuous hikes; if you have a pulmonary disease, you’ll need to be cautious about high altitudes. Avoid trying to fit yourself into a particular destination, and instead find the destination that fits well with you. With so many great options, it’s never a good idea to push yourself medically to make something work.

Consider a Group Trip

There are tons of great group trip options as we age, including trips geared around specific medical conditions. Companies like Dialysis at Sea have created thoughtful solutions that enable you to travel even if you require consistent care.

Certain trip setups are better or worse as we age. The key is to prepare in advance and find the right support: whether it’s a loved one or an organized group, make you to have your surrounding community assembled.

Pay Close Attention to Medication Management

Since it can be harder to obtain your prescriptions overseas, we recommend bringing at least an extra 7 days worth of medication with you (in addition to enough medication to cover every day that you’re there).

If you’re flying, make sure you have your medication with you in your carry-on. You should never have your medication in your checked bag in the rare event it gets lost.

In your Medical 101 Sheet, you should have your list of medications by both brand and generic (chemical) names, including the dosage and dosing schedule. Having both the chemical name and brand name is critical overseas. Many of the medications sold under American brands have names that are unfamiliar to doctors and pharmacists overseas, but they’ll recognize the chemical names of these compounds. 

Navigate Health Insurance Abroad

It’s important to know that Medicare will not pay for illness abroad. To get coverage outside of the US, there are two options: add a Medicare gap policy, and / or to add additional travel insurance.

Certain Medigap plans offer additional coverage for services you need outside the U.S. - you can read more about them here. Medicap coverage only lasts the first 60 days of your trip, and the lifetime coverage limit is $50,000.

If you’d like to add additional insurance, there are a myriad of options, and it’s best to work with a trusted insurance broker to find a plan that’s right for you.

It’s worth noting: if you’re going somewhere off-the-beaten-path with limited healthcare, you should consider getting Medical Evacuation Insurance, which will provide air evacuation services to the nearest adequate medical facility (and/or home). If you decide to opt-in for Medical Evacuation Insurance, make sure you understand the details, like who makes the decision on if you’ll be evacuated, who picks the hospital you’ll be evacuated to, if there’s a cap on coverage, and if any pre-existing conditions are excluded.

Prepare Well for Airplane Travel

If you’ll be flying and need extra assistance, airlines will offer help in boarding, deplaning, and making connections to their next flight, including:

• Passengers 75 and older can receive expedited screening through security
• Wheelchairs and transportation through the airport are available
• If you’d prefer help from a loved one who isn’t flying, they can obtain an Airport Escort Pass to help you get to or from your gate

Flying can be particularly disruptive to an older adult with cognitive impairment, especially if you cross time zones. It’s not uncommon for someone with cognitive impairment to become confused and/or discombobulated during or after flying. Plan on giving yourself a day or two to recover in the place you’re going to before getting into any major itinerary items.