Having Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) does not prevent a person from traveling. It’s possible to fly with ALS across the country or to other parts of the world as long as you follow travel tips that keep you safe and comfortable.
Hiring a flight nurse with expertise in commercial airline medical escort services can also provide benefits for those with ALS. Whether or not they choose to fly with a nurse, the key to safe travel for those with ALS is to take the time to plan ahead and anticipate any challenges before they happen.
Tips For Travel Preparation For Those With ALS
Those with disabilities, including ALS, travel more today than ever before. The ALS Association writes that “the travel industry is paying greater attention to their special needs by providing more services and accommodations.” The same is true for most airports and airlines, who focus more than ever on making travel comfortable for those who fly with ALS or need assistance.
The association also offers some tips for ALS travelers. It starts with advice that is important for anyone traveling with a disability or injury: check with your primary care physician first to ensure it’s safe for you to travel. Other recommendations before starting your journey include the following.
Carry a letter from your healthcare provider that describes your condition, medications, potential complications, and other medical information.
Carry a living will
Take enough prescription medication to last the entire trip, and pack it in your carryon bag.
Ensure you have adequate health insurance coverage, including coverage for medical evacuation. If leaving the country, ensure coverage includes travel overseas.
Carry emergency contact information. Share your itinerary, airline tickets, credit cards, and passport details with a trusted family member or friend who is not traveling with you.
The association also recommends that those with ALS consider answers to important questions, such as whether you will need an assigned seat in a specific location, assistance you will need during boarding and deplaning, and time you need to make a connection if you plan to transfer planes.
Tips For Flying With ALS
It’s important to contact the airport and airline ahead of time for any special requests, such as preferred seating on the plane or help getting into and out of a wheelchair. If you use any type of medical equipment or device, you also must get approval by giving the airline notice at least 48 hours before your trip.
While transportation officers may not require you to take off your shoes, belt or light jacket when going through security, you still will be subject to screening and a possible pat down. Also, check your wheelchair or scooter at the boarding gate and request that it be brought to the boarding gate at your destination airport.
Have batteries to run any equipment or devices while on the plane, as only some planes have electrical outlets to plug in devices.
You also should plan ahead for how you will deal with going to the restroom if needed while on the plane. Flight attendants can use a special onboard wheelchair to move you, but they cannot provide lift assistance. The ALS Association advises that men consider using a condom catheter or adult diaper and women consider using an external female catheter or adult diapers.
Travel With a Flight Nurse
A flight nurse who works with a non-emergency medical transport company can provide assistance that makes flying with ALS that much easier. Those with ALS can work with a RN Flight Coordinator who makes all the travel arrangements in advance, building the most convenient travel itinerary possible.
They also will contact airports and airlines ahead of time, making any special arrangements required, as well as set up transportation to and from the airport.
During the journey, flight nurses travel with you, keeping track of medical equipment, medications and helping with issues such as going to the bathroom and ensuring wheelchairs and scooters are safely stored and available when you arrive at your destination.
It’s possible to fly with ALS with the right amount of planning and attention to detail. For those who feel they will require assistance, traveling with a flight nurse can make the experience safer and more comfortable.
Holiday travel during the months of November and December can prove stressful to anyone, including those with disabilities. However, holiday travel with limited mobility is possible if you plan ahead and follow smart tips during your journey.
The following looks at some of the major issues to keep in mind if you plan on limited mobility holiday travel, especially air travel. As with those with specific issues, including everything from traumatic brain injury to a spinal cord injury, flying with medical assistance and medical flight services can make the trip go much easier.
Planning Holiday Travel If You Have Limited Mobility
Keep these issues in mind before you leave the house and during your flight.
Know Your Rights
Make sure to know the rights you have under the Americans With Disabilities Act. In the broadest terms, you cannot be discriminated against because you experience mobility issues. There are rules in place that make bathrooms accessible, allow service animals if required, and provide assistance going through security.
Even under normal circumstances, you want to book your trip early. For holiday travel, it’s even more important. Flights fill up quickly in November and December. Book as far in advance as possible and stick with non-stop flights, if possible. If you must take two flights, make sure there is plenty of time to change planes at the airport. Arrange transportation to and from the airport.
Call Ahead
Contact both the airline and the airport to find out all the services available to limited mobility travelers. They include shorter security lines, the chance to board early and get assistance (such as a wheelchair) while moving through the airport. Be specific about your injury and write down the details of what they offer to help you.
Packing Equipment, Medication
If you take medication, bring enough to last the entire trip and place it in your carryon bag. When you speak with people at the airport and airlines, find out rules around using equipment – crutches or your own wheelchair, for example – during your trip. For example, airplanes have special wheelchairs meant to fit the narrow aisle, so your wheelchair will be stored during the flight. Make sure you ask to have your own chair brought to you at the gate of your destination airport.
Going Through Security
The Transportation and Safety Administration advises those with limited mobility to speak with a TSA agent about any concerns before going through security. You can contact the TSA about this issue through the TSA Cares toll free helpline.
If you’re approved ahead of time through TSA Pre✓®, you will not need to remove laptops or 3-1-1- liquids from your bag or take off shoes, belts, or light jackets during the screening process. However, TSA adds that “everyone is required to undergo screening at the checkpoint by technology or a pat-down. Also, TSA officers may swab an individual’s hands, mobility aids, equipment and other external medical devices to test for explosives using explosives trace detection technology.”
Find the Right Seat
Most airlines will allow you to board early, so choose a seat on the aisle so you can more easily get up and go to the bathroom, if necessary. You’ll want a seat as close to the bathroom as well.
Drink Water, Bring Food
Stay hydrated during the flight by drinking water – about eight ounces of water is recommended for every hour you fly. With that in mind, a stop at the bathroom is a smart move, too! Also, if you are on any type of special diet, bring food packed in your carryon bag to make it through the flight.
For those with limited mobility who plan holiday travel, making the journey with a flight nurse can provide the peace of mind of having a medical professional with you every step of the way. A flight nurse has experience providing emergency medical care and will oversee all your travel arrangements, including working with airport and airline officials on your behalf. They also oversee the handling of medical equipment and medications throughout your journey. They take on a lot of the stressful parts of holiday travel for those with limited mobility.
Everyone should enjoy going to see friends and loved ones during the holiday season. That included those with limited mobility. Flying with medical assistance can help make the journey easier, and give you the comfort of knowing someone is with you who can handle any problems that arises.
Anyone can travel with a nurse if they need medical assistance to safely travel or feel more comfortable having an experienced nurse with them. Many people who hire a travel nurse do so because they have a disability or injury that makes traveling alone impossible, or they are seniors who want the benefit of medical assistance over the course of their journey.
For those who want to travel with a nurse, the first step is to contact a Non-Emergency Medical Transport (NEMT) company. Experienced RN flight coordinators help clients book their travel and also assign an experienced flight nurse to accompany them. These nurses also have certification and specialized training for what they do.
Who Needs To Travel With a Nurse?
Flight nurses who work with NEMT companies provide support and medical care for a wide variety of travelers.
Serious Injuries
Traveling with a broken leg or other type of serious injury is doable (with a doctor’s permission) but also difficult, especially if equipment such as a wheelchair is required. Even younger travelers may have difficulty dealing with the many issues that can arise. A flight nurse ensures they have a medical professional on hand for any care they need, as well as help navigating the airport, security and boarding at the gate.
Chronic Conditions and Disabilities
Chronic medical conditions or disabilities that restrict range of motion, cause people to tire easily, involve frequent pain, or impact a person’s mental faculties can make getting through the airport and the flight experience challenging. Flight nurses have years of experience in working with people who have such conditions, giving them the support they need and working with airport and airline officials to make travel as convenient as possible.
Medical Repatriations
Travelers who have sustained injuries while outside the country often contact NEMT companies for what is known as medical repatriations, which involves bringing them back home safely and quickly. Experienced NEMT companies and flight nurses have connections around the world and understand how to work with medical professionals in other countries, getting patients moved back to the United States and into the care of their regular doctors.
Seniors
As the United States population ages, seniors – some of them relocating to a new home – and their families increasingly depend on flight nurses to support them during their travels. For many, it’s overwhelming to deal with the crowds, noise and sometimes confusing signage at airports, making it easier for them to travel with a nurse who can provide guidance throughout the experience. For those with medical equipment and medications, flight nurses also keep track of everything, administering medication when needed and keeping track of medical equipment.
Flight Nurses Work With Airlines, Airports
One of the major benefits of deciding to travel with a nurse involves their experience in working with airline and airport officials. While making all the arrangements for a client’s travel, flight nurses also call ahead to airlines and airports, asking in advance for special equipment (such as a wheelchair) or considerations (such as the ability to board the plane first) that a passenger may require.
People can hire a flight nurse for a commercial flight through an NEMT company, where a flight coordinator works with clients to plan and book a trip. You can travel with a nurse on both domestic and international flights, making it a convenient service no matter your destination.
Vegetarians might find it more difficult to find something good to eat during a flight or even at the airport, but they also have the advantage of having eating habits that work well with flying. When a vegetarian eats before a flight, they won’t have to worry about the processed foods and high protein meats that can make you feel bloated once you’re in the sky.
When it comes to choosing the right food to eat before a flight, vegetarians have plenty of good choices. For those traveling with a flight nurse, run any ideas you have by them before committing to making them your pre-flight meal.
Choices For Vegetarians to Eat Before a Flight
Vegetarians focus on eating healthy food, so they are already ahead of the game when it comes to choosing the right food for their flight. Keep in mind that before and during the flight, you want to keep your portions small. Air pressure in the cabin can cause food to expand – you want to avoid that bloated feeling! A smart strategy is to stop eating before you are completely full.
As with most things in life, moderation is the key. Too much of a good thing, including the food suggestions, can lead to discomfort on a flight.
Stay Hydrated
Before reaching for any food, make sure you have plenty of water. The air inside a plane at high altitudes is dry, so you want to hydrate before getting on a flight. A general rule of thumb is to drink about one liter of water for every four hours of your flight. Putting a slice of lemon in the water can give you an extra boost of vitamin C.
Some Helpful Fruits
Fruits can provide just the right thing to make a flight more pleasant. Oranges, guava, cantaloupe, strawberries – they all come loaded with high amounts of vitamin C. A potassium-rich banana can also help prevent cramping of your legs during a long flight, and also is an excellent anti-bloating food.
Nuts
Eating nuts (unsalted to avoid dehydration) is one of the best ways to get protein without eating meat. Some of the healthiest nuts include almonds, cashews, chestnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.
Crackers and Dips
As long as you eat moderate amounts, a bit of nut butter spread or hummus with crackers or bites of vegetables can give you a bit of needed protein before the flight, keeping you feeling full during your journey.
Think Carbohydrates
While you want some protein to give you energy and stave off hunger, you also want to focus on slow-burning carbohydrates, especially for a long flight. They will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Again, moderation is key – don’t overeat any of those fruits and vegetables with slow-burning carbohydrates.
Apples
Berries
Oranges
Carrots
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Red Peppers
Onions
Green Beans
Grains also provide carbohydrates and some protein, including brown rice, rolled oats and quinoa.
Foods to Avoid
Avoid salty foods that can increase dehydration, caffeine, sugar, or big helpings of vegetables that can be hard to digest during a flight. Avoid any type of beans or spices that might upset your stomach. Also, the hours before a flight are not the time to try a new food that your body is not used to processing.
Keep these ideas in mind for what a vegetarian can eat before a flight. It will make the trip much more pleasant, and also leave you feeling healthy and ready to go once you reach your destination.
Travel insurance provides peace of mind, giving travelers a safety net in case things go wrong while away from home. Senior travel insurance can help elderly travelers relax and enjoy their journey, whether it’s relocating to a new home, going to a family reunion or finally taking that trip to Hawaii they’ve dreamed of for decades.
For seniors, the first step is to answer the question: “What is medical traveler insurance?” Essentially it provides coverage for travelers if they are hurt when away from home. The policies cover the duration of the trip and can include coverage for medical expenses such as emergency care at hospitals, physician charges, emergency dental costs and some transportation costs if a person is evacuated from a remote area.
Getting a good medical travel insurance policy is often the most important part of a trip. People should not confuse it with trip insurance, which helps people recover the loss of expenses such as tickets or hotels. Medical travel insurance can pay to return someone home in the event of an injury, illness, or in some cases natural or manmade disasters.
Medical travel insurance is often inexpensive but can save travelers tens, or hundreds of thousands of dollars. It covers all the “what ifs” of travel not covered by standard trip insurance and can prevent an accident from becoming catastrophic.
Why Senior Travel Insurance Is Important
Many people decide to get medical travel insurance because it allows them to enjoy their trip better knowing they have coverage if something happens. This is especially important to seniors who may have chronic physical conditions, illnesses or less physical mobility due to age-related issues.
The nature of the trip also impacts the decision on whether to get senior travel insurance. A short flight to a nearby city to visit grandkids may seem less likely to involve any type of accident. But a trip that involves a lot of walking, biking, canoeing, or other physical activity – no matter the location – makes getting insurance a better idea.
It’s also important to work with a professional travel agent who can support travelers if something goes wrong, quickly fixing tough travel problems. People hire professionals in other areas of their lives – attorneys and financial planners, for example – but try to handle everything themselves when it comes to travel. In a crisis, having a professional to work with is invaluable.
Factors to Consider With Senior Travel Insurance
Before deciding to buy travel insurance, seniors should honestly assess their own physical health. The major factors to consider include:
Current state of health and level of physical activity
Type of activities planned for the trip
Length of the trip
Those with chronic medical conditions and low levels of physical activity may want to consider senior travel insurance for a long trip that will involve a great deal of walking. That includes everything from walking tours of historic sites to hiking nature trails. A lengthy trip also is more enjoyable if the senior involved knows he has coverage for pre-existing medical conditions.
Some of the other costs covered by medical travel insurance include:
Emergency trips to the hospital due to an accident
Seeing a physician because of illness.
Emergency dental costs
Emergency medical evacuation from a remote area and transport to a medical facility
Transporting a body back home in the event of death
How Much Does Senior Travel Insurance Cost?
The price of travel insurance depends on the level of coverage, as well as the traveler’s age, state of residence, length and cost of trip, and destination, according to Forbes, which analyzed travel insurance costs and found that, on average, they cost about 7 percent to 9 percent of the total trip cost.
Senior travel insurance covers portions of the trip that are pre-paid and non-refundable. Seniors should always read a policy in great detail before deciding, as the level of coverage varies. Forbes recommended that travelers look for the following in their travel insurance.
At least $150,000 in medical coverage for each person. This includes coverage for everything from ambulance service to X-rays, tests and medication.
At least $250,000 in medical evacuation coverage. This covers transportation to a hospital, but also frequently covers transportation from one hospital to another in a situation where the second hospital has better facilities to treat the illness or injury.
Coverage of pre-existing medical conditions. This requires what is known as a pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver. This waiver removes any exclusions in the policy for conditions the senior already has.
Consider upgrading to a “cancel for any reason” policy. Most policies allow the traveler to cancel for specific reasons. The cancel for any reason policy does just that – seniors can cancel for whatever reason they like and still get most of the policy costs back.
It’s important to know that some medical travel Insurance are primary policies that provide direct coverage. Others are secondary and fill gaps in existing medical coverage. Secondary coverage is less expensive than primary coverage, but you must have an existing Primary Medical Insurance policy. Senior travel insurance can make the difference between an enjoyable trip or one where anxiety continues to nip at the back of the traveler’s mind. Although not needed in every case, it provides peace of mind for certain seniors, especially on long and potentially strenuous journeys.
When it comes to moving seniors to a new home, flying makes the most sense. It’s the fastest, safest way to manage a long distance senior relocation. The key is to follow some best practices that have proven to make the experience much smoother for all involved.
Adult children, who often must help parents downsize and relocate to a new home, can benefit from learning those best practices and putting them into action before, during and after the trip. They include the tips listed below.
Many of these issues, including booking all travel arrangements, are handled by partnering with professional senior relocation services.
Tips For Before You Travel
The best long distance senior relocations go well because of a solid plan. The time to create one happens long before you leave the house. The first step is to make a checklist for pre-trip considerations, including the following.
Talk to the doctor. If seniors have chronic medical conditions, check with a physician to ensure they can fly. You may also want to consider having a flight nurse on the trip to manage medications, medical equipment and any issues that may arise during the flight.
Book the flights. Book flights as far in advance as possible to get the cheapest rates. Also, make all the flights non-stop, if possible, even if they cost slightly more. Doing so saves seniors the hassle of getting on and off a plane twice and having to navigate a third airport.
Call the airport and airline. If you need special arrangements for seniors, call ahead to set them up with the airport or airline. This includes issues such as getting a wheelchair or assistance in going through security. You can also request special seating arrangements on the plane.
Arrange ground transportation. Make sure that you have dependable ground transportation both to the airport and from the destination airport.
Packing. Make sure that all medication is packed in the carry-on bag and labeled correctly. Also put any snacks and extra water the seniors might want or any other items needed during the flight.
Tips For Day of Flight
If everything is set up during the pre-trip phase, then trip day should go as smoothly as possible. Remember to follow through with those phone calls to the airport and airlines, getting help through the airport, if needed (including a wheelchair) and assistance getting through security and onboard the plane.
Arrive at least two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart to avoid feeling rushed
Wear comfortable shoes
Invest in plane seats with plenty of legroom (and close to the bathroom)
Bring plenty of snacks and water
Carry a list of emergency contacts in carryon baggage
Never hesitate to ask for assistance
Tips For After the Flight
Once you’ve arrived at your destination, there are other issues to deal with, including the following. Putting these tips in action can further reduce travel stress for the elderly.
Get assistance through airport. Follow through with the contact made with the destination airport during the pre-trip phase, ensuring you have wheelchairs or other assistance needed for the seniors as they deplane and exit the airport.
Double check ground transportation. Transportation should have been arranged during the pre-flight phase. Double check as soon as you have cell phone service to ensure that they are ready to meet you once you collect your baggage.
Wash hands. Wash everyone’s hands thoroughly in the destination airport bathroom or clean them with a sanitizer.
Drink Water. People often limit what they drink on the flight to cut down on trips to the bathroom. Make sure that once they get off the plane, seniors drink plenty of water. The air inside an airplane is dry, so they should drink water even if they don’t feel thirsty.
Get rest. Don’t make extra stops once you arrive. Take the seniors directly to the hotel or new residence where they can rest. This is especially needed if it’s a long flight.
These tips can help make long distance senior relocation by airplane go as smoothly as possible. Put them into action as you begin to plan the trip.
