A Must Carry Travel Items For Traveling Parents/Elders
By A Short Eye Opener Story Ahead Before You Find About The Travel Items List
This time I dedicate this post on the travel items to the Parents, In-laws, Elders in every one of our families. Again, I had never got a hint to write the content which I had penned down below until I saw my Mom experienced health issues after one of the short trips.
Image Credit: Pixabay
With a great excitement, my mom with her four friends planned for an interstate trip. For nothing, she had looked for my help as a part of their plan. My mom and her friends had very well planned the trip and they were on top of everything. Be it booking a sleeper bus to and fro, sightseeing, the guide, and everything. Believe me, the elderly women in our families are so powerful by heart and mind except that they don’t display it most of the times.
Everything went on well and the trip was great. A few weeks later, my mom had complained of a pain in her left hand. The pain that radiated from the armpit to hands making her hand very difficult to lift/move. Consulted the doctor and found it to be a disc slip on the neck. The complaint was not wholly due to the short travel, but for sure the travel had also played a role.
Digging further, I came to know that my Mom had fallen down in a subway few months before the travel. Besides, the posture that my mom adapted while returning back from the trip is undoubtedly a culprit. My mom had traveled in a somewhat sitting posture in the sleeper bus while returning back as she had felt uncomfortable sleeping on the sleeper bus during the onward trip. Looks like the posture had given more stress to the muscles and the disc in the neck portion.
A simple air pillow could have a helped my Mom stay away from the disc slip complaint. Though, I am aware that it falls under a must carry travel items I had still failed to convey it to my Mom.
It Is Not What We Think Always
The above incident is one main reason for me writing this post. We all wish that certain things work out well as we wanted, though we know that things do not go always in the way we expect. Not many of us are gifted to stay with our elderly parents in the same house after a certain age. Even if we live in the same city, we reside in a different area due to kids school, commuting distance to the workplace etc. When we have a compelling fact to stay away from our own elders in the family, there are few things through which we can help them stay away from the pain. The pain that arises because of not considering certain things like the travel items.
The Must-Carry Travel Items
Here I provide the list of the top must carry travel items which we sons and daughters should never forget to consider when our Parents / Elders travel. With age, it is very common for our mom, dad, and other elders at home to overlook things. Hope, the below points help everyone when there is a need.
An Air Pillow / Neck Pillow
This travel item is a must, not only for the traveling Parents but also for anyone who is on travel. This small travel item that inflates with air can be a great support for the head as a headrest. Not just that as it also helps as a back cushion for the lumbar part during bus travel.
A Neck Pillow – A quality cushion that most of us overlook during flight travel. The percentage of traveling parents every month to the USA, UK, and other countries is very high nowadays. In the busy schedule, they spend their time on what to carry for us especially the food items and others things which they knew their kids’ love. If not us, then there won’t be anyone else who can help them with the travel items which are a must during travel.
Remember, nothing can replace a Lumbar Support belt and a Cervical Collar belt. Especially for elders who travel with a history of back pain and neck pain complaint.
Emergency Medicines & Prescription Drugs
First thing, try to get a medical insurance for your parents. This is irrespective of whether they travel or not. It is our duty.
Get to know about the health history of your Parents. It is better to get to know about the health history of your In-laws and other close elders in your family as well. Ensure that they carry their emergency medicines with them all the time. This applies to everyone and a very critical thing for the Elders with certain medication routines. For example, Diabetes, Thyroid, Heart Issues etc. The best would be to have a picture of the medical prescription as well on the phone.
Address Information
A small booklet with the important mobile phone numbers and a card with ID information are the third must carry travel items. The one that has at least an address, emergency contact information, blood group etc.
Image Credit: Pixabay
As most of the elders who travel own a smartphone nowadays, it is better to take a picture of the filled ID card. This will come as a help if they had lost their handbags. A photo in the smartphone is just a backup but not a reliable one.
The reliable tip here is to ensure that our Parents remember our cell phone numbers.
Emergency Contact Information
Spare Pairs Of Contacts / Glasses With Cases
To handle things without eyeglasses/contacts for elders is very difficult. Especially the elders and parents with high power glasses without which they cannot see things properly.
There are possibilities for one of their contact lenses or their eyeglasses to fall down leading to a loss. An extra pair of eyeglasses would surely be of help. Do not forget the eye drops and the contact lens solution as well under the travel items category.
Spare Batteries For Hearing Aids
First Aid Kit
One of the travel items which is highly overlooked.
A small pouch or a zip lock cover with Pills for Antacid, Gas Relief, Fever, Pain, Anti-diarrhea etc besides band-aids.
Mobile Phone Charger
A Mobile Phone Charger also falls under the Must carry travel items for the elders who travel. If both your Parents are traveling and if they both use the phone with the same kind of charging port, it is best to buy adapters with two charging ports. That would not only save their time but help them keep both their mobile phones with enough charge. A small search on Amazon can help you with options.
A Pair Of Compression Socks
If your parents do not have one already, please ensure that you buy it for them. Compression Socks falls under the list of a must carry travel items as they help to maintain blood flow and reduce discomfort and swelling by applying pressure to the lower legs.
This is mandatory during long-distance travel either by Air or by Land. Though the risk of developing blood clots during air travel is low, it spikes up when the travel time increases.
A Handy Flash Light
Either you buy a small flashlight for the elders who travel or teach them how to use the flashlight in their phones. The former is better as it does not depend on the cell phone battery.
There are a lot more things that fall under the must carry travel items which I am yet to share. Specifically, the ones that are more inclined to air travel.
Stay tuned for the Part – 2 blog post with an information about some more travel items that are good to carry.
Image Credits: Pixabay, Thotslingo, Amazon
Nice article
Thank You Shaishavi
Good to know, I carry other items too like tent, barbecue grill, ice box, cool drinks, portable heater, charcoal, lighter, marinated chicken, cool drinks, swing, rope, tarp, teabags, tissue, knife set, Advil, children’s Tylenol and finally Office laptop
Thank You Akbar 🙂
As far as I know, you are still young.
It’s really important to have that checklist whenever you travel. I do believe it’s essential to let them have a check-up before traveling especially if they have maintenance and a list of medicines that they need. Anyways, awesome post. Cheers!
Thank You for your visit. Take Care