3 Ways To Prepare Your Elderly Loved One For Flying Solo

If you have an elderly loved one that doesn’t yet need to live in an assisted living or memory care facility but that you don’t necessarily trust to take care of all of their travel plans on their own, it can be scary when they have a big trip coming up that they’re wanting to take. And while you might feel better if you were going with them, this isn’t always possible. Luckily, there are things that you can do to help ensure that their time spent flying is safe and secure for them.

To help you see how this can be accomplished, here are three ways to prepare your elderly loved one for flying solo for an upcoming trip.

Make Things As Easy As Possible

As you help your loved one prepare for their trip, one of the main things that you should focus on with them is making the trip as easy as possible. There are a lot of different ways that you can simplify the flying process for them so that you both have less to stress about.

First of all, when booking their flight, try to book a direct flight, if at all possible. This will eliminate the need to have to make their way through an unfamiliar airport to get to their next flight in time. Additionally, if they don’t already have assistance set up with things like getting through the airport or going through security, help them get this set up for them so that they have the option for additional help if they aren’t quite feeling up to doing everything on their own the day of their travel.

Consider An Escort Pass

With the way that security works now, only those with an actual boarding pass can make their way to the gate. But if you and your elderly loved one are worried about them actually getting to their gate, you can look into getting an escort pass.

Depending on the airline that your loved one is flying with, escort passes might be available to you. With a pass like this, you can go through security with them and get them all the way to their gate. Then, as they board the plane, you’ll just leave and have someone else at the airport help them as they get situated on the plane and go through the landing process.

Plan Ahead For Their Comfort

Traveling can be hard on anyone, including the elderly. Knowing this, you should seek to plan ahead for their comfort. If they want extra room, consider getting a premium or first-class ticket for them. They may also want to have a wheelchair available if the airport is large and they aren’t as firm on their feet anymore. You should also help them pack things they might need for comfort, like a neck pillow to help them sleep on the plane.

If you have an elderly loved one that you’re worried about flying by themselves, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how you can make this process easier.

 

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