It’s possible for a bedbound patient to fly on a commercial airline, but only with certain international airlines and only on select flights. Doing so requires extensive planning with the airline so they can prepare the plane to safely transport a bedridden passenger. This requires contacting the airline well in advance of the planned trip.
It’s an area where a flight nurse can provide a great deal of help. An RN flight coordinator working for a non-emergency transport company (NEMT) will make all the travel arrangements for a client. That includes booking flights and arranging any special accommodations.
However, transporting a bedridden patient is typically not possible on a domestic flight. And even on an international flight, providing accommodations for bedbound patients are often very difficult to set up.
Types of Bedridden Patients
A bedbound patient may want to fly for a number of different reasons. Many of those most common situations involve medical reparation (someone flying back to the U.S. on an international flight after getting injured while on vacation) or experiencing a medical event, such as a stroke. Other postoperative patients may travel after recovery from surgery.
People need to remain bedridden during a flight, typically on a stretcher, because they are unable to sit up in a standard airplane seat during taxiing, takeoff and landing. They almost always fly with an experienced medical professional who can oversee their care during the flight.
Are Bedbound Patients Allowed on a Domestic Flight?
There are no stretcher options to fly someone domestically. The only airlines who offer stretcher service are outside the United States: Lufthansa, Korean Air, Qatar, and Emirates. And even these airlines only do so on select international flights.
While other international airlines may state they offer stretcher service, the logistics of getting it set up are extremely difficult and often not possible.
Domestic airlines require that passengers be able to tolerate sitting for up to 15 to 20 minutes. For bedbound patients, that is often not possible.
For those who can tolerate sitting up, a NEMT company provides a safe, low-cost alternative to an air ambulance. However, bedbound patients may have difficulty flying without using an air ambulance.
Hospital to hospice travel is difficult under the best of circumstances. For those who need a commercial airline flight, it can add an extra layer of complexity and stress. However, it’s not something people have to do alone.
Non-emergency medical transportation services provide an option for families searching for ways to safely transport a loved one from hospital to hospice. Given the situation, it’s one of the more demanding journeys a family can make. Having a flight nurse travel with a patient can make the journey less stressful.
For seniors looking to reduce the stress of travel, NEMT can offer assistance in any situation involving travel for the elderly, including making the journey from hospital to hospice.
Elderly Transport From Hospital to Hospice
The first consideration in transporting people from hospital to hospice is practicing kindness and respect toward the patient. For those searching for NEMT services in this area, make sure that the treatment from the outset reflects this mindset.
When researching NEMT companies to provide hospital to hospice transport, focus on companies that address the following areas.
Making all travel arrangements, including any special services needed to help the patient easily get through the airport and on board the plane
Any special accommodations needed in-flight
Medical services when required throughout the flight, including keeping track of medications and medical equipment
Going over the trip plan in advance to prepare the patient and family
It’s helpful to work with those who have experience working with airlines and airports at both domestic and international destinations, making it easier to set up any special accommodations. Nurses who fly with patients from hospital to hospice should also have years of experience in providing care and hold the necessary certifications to provide medical care at high altitudes.
Flying Angels recently had the honor of working with Jill Connaway in transporting her mother from a hospital in Missouri to Jill’s home in California. She found Flying Angels while doing research. As she wrote in a Facebook post, she heard from CEO Bob Bacheler within an hour after reaching out through the Flying Angels website.
“He was clear and upfront about what the estimated cost and process to get mom home would be. He was extremely patient and flexible as the plan continued to change as mom bounced between the hospital and rehab center for a month,” she wrote. “When it finally went time, he had our travel coordinated within 48 hours, including a ticket for me, so I could be on the same flight with mom.”
She said the flight nurse who traveled with her Mom, Elise, “was awesome.” She visited the day before the trip, setting expectations and preparing the pair for the trip. Jill wrote that Elise did everything possible to make the difficult trip “smooth and seamless.”
“She coordinated all of the details with the hospital. And she is just a very kind, congenial person,” she wrote. “Her attention to detail is superb. And the fact that she managed our travel so well really took a lot of the stress off of me and my mom. Plus she was very encouraging, especially at the very end of the trip when mom was so exhausted; she really cheered her on and kept her going.”
Expertise in Medical Transport
Flying Angels has years of experience providing non-emergency medical transport (NEMT) to patients in all types of situations. They include people injured while traveling who need to get back home, seniors relocating to a new home, and those with disabilities or medical conditions that make it difficult to travel on their own.
However, traveling from hospital to hospice is one of the most special journeys a person can make when using NEMT. The nurses and staff at Flying Angels feel gratitude for being asked to provide medical care during such an important time.
Jill summed up the company’s approach in her Facebook post. “I am so pleased that I reached out to Flying Angels,” she wrote, “I am grateful that there are people like Bob and Elise in the world who care so deeply and take such good care of people who are often in the most vulnerable places in their lives.”
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.
