Millions of people in the United States and billions around the world fly in an airplane every year. You’d think by now that many of the myths about flying would disappear, but some of them have a tenacious hold on people’s imagination.
Unlike air travel facts many people don’t know about, these myths are completely untrue. Many seem designed to scare people or, in some cases, just gross people out. With airplane travel picking up again, it’s a good time to dispel these myths.
Like a game of “telephone” when you were a kid, myths tend to grow because as people pass a story along, details tend to change. Facts and context get lost. Then, before long, the story is something completely different or exaggerated beyond all recognition.
Here are a few myths about flying that many people continue to believe. Many of them come from a Reader’s Digest interview with pilots.
Germs Pass Easily on a Plane
Engineers fit planes with high-quality oxygen systems that recycle the air every one to three minutes, meaning that germs don’t easily travel from one end of the plane to another. Like most places, you’re only likely to pick up an illness from the people sitting directly next to you.
Pilots Fly Around the Bermuda Triangle
While planes have run into trouble while flying through what is known as the Bermuda Triangle – including some that have gone missing – airlines don’t route flights around it. That’s because tropical storms and vast stretches of ocean are the cause of crashes there, not diabolical forces. It’s the same situation in many other places in the world. Pilots today know how to avoid storms, and vast stretches of ocean are not a problem for modern jets on long-distance flights.
Maybe it’s from the movies, but a persistent myth is that something terrible will happen if a passenger decides to open the cabin door while in flight. Except that is simply not possible. Safety features on commercial jets keep a door securely bolted shut during a flight, even if someone tries to open it.
You Can Get Sucked Into the Toilet
This one scares kids the most. It’s also not possible. While airplane toilets do create a vacuum that sucks everything down, the toilet seat does not have an airtight seal, meaning you won’t get sucked down into it.
Air Travel Is Not Safe
The opposite is true. Air travel ranks among the safest of all transportation methods. There’s more of a chance of being in an accident while driving your car a mile away from your house than there is in an airplane.
Yes, it is. For some reason, people for years have repeated a rumor that the plane actually pumps some type of mixture through drop-down masks to keep people calm. Actually, it really does supply about 12 minutes of oxygen in the rare event a plane loses cabin pressure. This gives the pilot plenty of time to get the plane down to a level where people can breathe on their own.
Ugh! Why this persists is unknown, but it’s one of the more popular myths about flying. The only thing pilots are allowed to dump mid-flight is water, and then only from the flight attendant’s sink, if needed. Toilets are not dumped mid-flight. It’s unsafe (something could stick to the plane and cause problems) and also completely disgusting.
Alcohol Has More Effect at High Altitude
Actually, it doesn’t, but it might have more effect on you once you land. Because people tend to dehydrate at high altitudes, and because alcohol causes further dehydration, people may feel tired and dehydrated by the time they land if they drink alcohol during the flight. But they won’t get a better “buzz.”
These are just some of the persistent myths about flying. As it turns out, plane travel is much safer – and in the case of the toilet myths, much less gross – than the myths make it seem.
When managing health, some people require the support of professional care providers who plan and coordinate their care. Both case managers and care managers play key roles in providing such care, but in different ways.
Understanding the difference between case manager vs. care manager is necessary to make the proper choice on the type of care you need for yourself or a loved one who requires the help of a professional care provider. This includes those who need support in day-to-day life at home or customized care for coordinating plans and accompanying people when they travel.
Differences and Similarities With Case Manager vs. Care Manager
For those researching the type of care they need, the choice between case manager vs. care manager might provide a roadblock. It’s confusing to many. While the two share some similarities, they have key differences. The following provides an overview of both.
Who Is a Case Manager?
A case manager is often called a nurse case manager. The term “case management” has been around much longer than care management. It refers to healthcare professionals, typically nurses, who coordinate the overall care for patients.
In most situations, a case manager works directly for a healthcare facility, such as a clinic, hospital, or outpatient care facility. The American Case Management Association for example is a professional community of care management professionals who provide care for people in many different situations and with a wide range of services.
The Nursing Case Management Review and Resource Manual refers to case managers as those who “focus on care coordination, financial management and resource utilization to yield cost-effective outcomes that are patient-centric, safe and provided in the least restrictive setting.”
Case manager duties may include the following.
Developing a recovery time frame and monitoring its progress
Providing advice to clients and their families on critical decisions
Making the recovery process more efficient, including building relationships with other medical professionals
Providing healthcare-related financial advice to clients and their families
Encouraging a holistic approach to recovery
Monitor the patient’s emotional well-being and keeping them motivated
Who Is a Care Manager?
A care manager works individually with patients, helping to create care plans that help them through various stages of care as well as the transition between each. Organizations like the Aging Life Care Association® offer consultation, assessment, care coordination and advocacy to help individuals and their families find care managers who often work directly for the patient or with private agencies. They provide direct support to their client, taking an active role in each stage of care.
Care managers usually work with patients in their homes or during travel. They may work as a liaison between insurance and healthcare providers, managing medications and researching treatment options in addition to creating healthcare plans. Care managers, while relatively new, already have many job titles, including geriatric care managers, nurse concierge, and professional patient advocate.
Typical tasks of a care manager include the following.
Visiting patients in their home regularly to assess their health and wellness progress and discuss any changes needed to their healthcare plan, medications, etc.
Assessing a client’s medical care, including its suitability and legality
Ensuring patients know their rights
Ensuring that the health plan is meeting those rights
Offering professional advice and information to patients, their caretakers and loved ones
While they have some similar job duties, knowing the differences between case managers vs. care managers can help patients and their families make the best choices on their healthcare services.
Senior relocation services refer to organizations that offer seniors support when they decide to downsize and move. They offer help in planning the move, leaning out their current home, and in making the move itself.
It’s an important service because while moving is tough for people at any age, it can prove especially hard for seniors. They often face having to leave a home where they’ve lived for years and accumulated many memories.
That’s a tough situation for both the seniors and their children. Senior relocation services can make a world of difference in dealing with relocating their parents. They range from concierge services who manage all the logistics of a move to nonprofit organizations that provide free labor for moving day.
Types of Senior Relocation Services
Every senior reaches a point where they start to think about downsizing and moving to a new town, often to live closer to loved ones. They also may move to live in the warmer climates of places such as Florida and Arizona or in an assisted living for family. Senior relocation services offer support in all phases of making the move.
Sometimes called concierge services, these companies offer turnkey services that include packing, unpacking, space planning, downsizing, car transport and change of address. They also will come in person and evaluate what the seniors have, helping them develop a plan to declutter their home. Seniors should focus on working with senior move managers accredited by the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers (NASMM).
Another source for seniors who plan to downsize or move are the Aging Life Care Specialists who are part of the Aging Life Care Association. They offer a network of specialists across the country who assist people who are dealing with aging life care issues.
These are like regular moving companies, but they specialize in moving seniors. Or they’re a regular moving company that offers discounted rates for seniors. In either case, they can handle all the heavy lifting involved with moving that seniors cannot handle.
Non-Emergency Medical Transport
For seniors living with medical conditions or injuries that make it difficult to fly to their new destination alone, a non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) flight nurse can travel with them. They manage all medications and specialize in providing care at high altitudes. They also can manage booking all the travel arrangements.
Some non-profit organizations offer programs that help lower income seniors with moving costs. They include the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and the YMCA.
Downsizing Tips for Seniors
One of the most difficult parts of making a move for seniors is decluttering their current home and downsizing to fit into their new home. It’s a great feeling to accomplish this task, but it does require having a plan. The following tips can help.
Start As Early As Possible
Seniors should start a couple of months in advance with a checklist of what they need to accomplish before making the move. This checklist can include:
Getting floor plan of new home
Choosing which furniture to move
Getting rid of unwanted possessions
Contacting utilities ahead of time to turn off service
Filling any prescriptions needed before the move
That’s just a sample of the many items you might find on a moving checklist.
One Room At A Time
A good strategy to employ for a move is to do one room at the time. Completely clear out a room and pack it up before moving on to the next one. It’s a systematic approach that breaks the work into doable chunks.
When cleaning out rooms, keep in mind to eliminate any duplicate items. It’s amazing how many of these pile up over the years, especially in the kitchen. Also, chances are moving into a smaller place means having fewer rooms, such as a second guest room or an office. Declutter belongings with this in mind.
Sell or Give Away Items
When the time comes, don’t hesitate to sell some of your items through a yard sale or through online markets such as eBay. A little extra cash can help pay the costs of your move. However, keep in mind that most items won’t bring in much cash, so limit the time you want to spend in this area. It might be better to consider giving many items away to charity or to family and friends.
These tips can help you start planning your move, while senior relocation services can help the entire process go much smoother.
An estimated 75 million people live with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. Most of them can fly with high blood pressure as long as they remember certain safety tips that reduce the risk of any issues while traveling by plane.
The symptoms of high blood pressure can worsen at high altitudes. For example, a person with hypertension might find it more difficult to breathe on a longer flight. However, having hypertension should not become a barrier to flying. Even longer flights are fine if people take the right precautions.
As with other medical conditions such as dementia or traumatic spinal cord injury, those who want to fly with high blood pressure can choose to travel with a flight nurse who provides in-flight medical care and ensures you arrive at your destination safely.
What is Hypertension?
The term “hypertension” or high blood pressure refers to a condition where the long-term force of blood against artery walls is so high that it can lead to health problems. Most people are familiar with getting their blood pressure readings done at the doctor’s office.
Blood pressure machines provide two numbers. The top number is systolic pressure that measures pressure in the arteries when your heart beats. The bottom number is diastolic pressure that measures pressure in arteries between heartbeats.
In general, doctors consider a consistent reading of 140/90 or higher as hypertension. A normal level is generally between 90/60 and 120/80. These can vary depending on the person.
Safety Tips for Flying With High Blood Pressure
When you fly with high blood pressure, you should not worry too much about the health risks, which in itself can drive up your blood pressure! While you should always consult your physician about any concerns, most people with hypertension are perfectly safe to fly.
As Dr. Neal Chaisson with the Cleveland Clinic writes, “There’s virtually no problem with these patients traveling on a cruise, by air or even overseas.” The main issue is to stay with your medication schedule through the trip.
The doctor advises those with hypertension to carry a card that states they have pulmonary hypertension and also has their pharmacy’s number in case they lose their medication. The pharmacist should be able to help arrange a prescription refill at a nearby location. Also, make sure to bring medication in a carry-on bag, do not place it in checked baggage.
The following tips address things people can do during their flight.
Stand up and move around when possible every two hours or so on longer flights
Avoid salty snacks that can drive up blood pressure
Sit in a way that allows for the best blood flow – do not cross your legs
Avoid alcohol
Take an ice pack on board to place on any areas where you begin to feel swelling, such as ankles
These tips can help avoid or relieve any symptoms you feel when you fly with high blood pressure. You also can contact a RN Flight Coordinator to find out more about how they can help you fly safely if you have hypertension.
When a loved one needs non-emergency medical transport, it can be difficult to know what option is right for them and their health. What is the best way to get them where they need to be? Should you fly or should you use ground transport? This blog post will help you decide what the best option for your loved one is.
What is long distance medical transport?
Long distance medical transport is a type of transportation service that helps patients with non-emergency medical transport. This type of service can be extremely important for people that are in need of moving closer to family to be cared for or who need to get treatment that isn’t available in their local area.
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to medical transport cost, so let’s take a look at some options and see what is right for you.
Air travel is faster by far than any other type of long-distance medical transport, including driving, busing, train rides, or boat/ferry transportation. This can be especially important if your loved one needs to get to their destination within a certain amount of time.
Cons of Air Transport
The biggest con of using air transport for medical reasons is that the cost can be very high. For example, if you need to get from Los Angeles to San Francisco for treatment, it may not make sense financially for you or your loved one to fly when driving would take about the same time and work out much cheaper.
The main pro of ground transport is that it’s typically less expensive than air transport, and the cost depends on how far away the patient needs to go, what they need taken along with them (luggage, wheelchair), and the vehicle they’re driving.
Other pros include how much more comfortable ground transport is compared to air transport, especially because they are not accompanied by an attendant at all times. Ground transportation options also give you and your loved one time to decompress and relax, which can be very helpful in these situations.
The main con to using ground transport for long-distance patients is that it’s slower than air travel and can take longer depending on how many layovers you have along the way. For example, if a patient needs to get from New York City to San Francisco, it might take them a day or two by bus/train while they could arrive much quicker via air transport. In the end, choosing between air and ground transport comes down to two key factors: how fast you need to get to your destination and how much money you want or can afford to spend. Both options have their own set of pros and cons, so it’s important to weigh them all carefully before making a decision.
Are you preparing to fly commercially and have questions about what to expect? This article contains Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about commercial airline passenger assistance. If you are an older adult, please read this helpful guide for elderly air travel to get the best experience when flying. Securing assistance while traveling on a plane can be daunting, but we are here to help make it as easy as possible for you!
Knowing what different airlines offer can ensure you have the best experience; therefore, it is a common question individuals ask. Take a look at a comparison of four major commercial airlines.
American Airlines
The first airline we will look at is American Airlines. They provide a variety of services for disabled and elderly passengers. They offer help with mobility and medical devices such as wheelchairs. This includes assistance for transfers between your seat and an onboard wheelchair, as well as assistance moving the wheelchair to the lavatory door and back. To take advantage of this service, you will need to request a wheelchair in advance.
American also offers assistance with boarding and deplaning from all aircraft types. Before going through security, please let a ticketing agent know that you will need assistance on board, and they will provide you with a boarding pass that designates your special needs. You will also be given priority when it comes to seating.
Delta
Delta offers many of the same services as American Airlines and you will need to request special assistance in advance. In terms of services, Delta offers wheelchair and mobility assistance during every stage of your flight. You can bring medical equipment on board with you if the equipment meets health & safety requirements.
Delta also has multiple boarding options. They will allow you to board with other passengers, or they can pre-board you and try to help ensure that there is an empty seat next to you for extra space.
If you are flying on Southwest Airlines, assistance for the disabled begins when booking your ticket. You may select a special service as long as you meet their requirements. This service includes boarding and deplaning assistance, as well as help in the gate area and on the aircraft. Southwest also offers a pre-board option for those who need it. They will board you before any other passengers and like Delta, try to ensure there is an empty seat next to you.
United
United Airlines offers assistance to those with mobility and medical issues, such as wheelchair assistance at the airport and during the flight. Once again, however, this needs to be organized in advance. United also has a pre-board option for those who need it, as well as priority seating.
Can I have a flight Nurse on board with me?
Yes, you can hire a flight nurse to travel with you on commercial flights. It is worth considering if you want a more comprehensive service than what’s being offered by the airlines. While airlines are doing everything they can to improve air travel for seniors, you may need a more advanced level of personal care than what is currently available. This is where a non-emergency medical transport company can help.
Flight nurses travel with patients in both emergency and non-emergency situations. They have specialized skills in providing medical care at high altitudes and managing a patient’s medications. In the case of non-emergency flight nurses, they help patients plan their trips, navigate through the airport and deliver any medical care needed during the flight.
