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Thanks for showing interest in my question. The elder is 97.5, wheelchair bound, incontenent but only take thyroid medicine and vitamins. Has no belongings to bring on the trip as that will be taken care of before hand.
The reason I'm looking for input is, we will only get one chance to do this and it would be a shame to learn after the fact what preparations we should have made for a smooth time of it. We won't get a second chance to do it right.
How do the airlines handle this sort of thing?
Are there shortcuts available?
Is time of day for air travel a consideration?
What should be done to prepare the elder?
Who should travel with the elder?
What happens when the plane lands?
So, I'm looking for practical advice from anyone who has done this before and has useful info to share.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts ๐
Personally, if it were me having to make such arrangements of a person of such age and physical condition, I would use a luxury RV with a couple of people who could handle the care and switch off the driving to make it as fast as possible.
I say this because just getting to and through a couple of airports can be stressful, time consuming and unaccomodating for some care. At least with luxury road transport, the person could lay down or sit up, eat when needed, get changed when needed, etc.
And if something were to occur, there would be help readily available - a bit more difficult at 30,000 +/- feet.
Most likely there will have to be transport to and from the airport so that takes time and logistics as well but with a luxury RV transport, everybody is already all settled to get from point A to point B with little, if any, change out.
But that is just my personal view and probably one I would make for my own self at 97+ with other concerns.
@c174925s wrote:Thanks for showing interest in my question. The elder is 97.5, wheelchair bound, incontenent but only take thyroid medicine and vitamins. Has no belongings to bring on the trip as that will be taken care of before hand.
The reason I'm looking for input is, we will only get one chance to do this and it would be a shame to learn after the fact what preparations we should have made for a smooth time of it. We won't get a second chance to do it right.
How do the airlines handle this sort of thing?
Are there shortcuts available?
Is time of day for air travel a consideration?
What should be done to prepare the elder?
Who should travel with the elder?
What happens when the plane lands?
So, I'm looking for practical advice from anyone who has done this before and has useful info to share.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts ๐
Hi there. Well, i do hope someone who has flown someone like this will chime in. I would want there to be at least two people flying with her. (I'm assuming 'her'.) I would want her diaper to be new and clean prior to boarding. She'd get priority boarding for sure. Anyway you can afford first class, so there's more room? One of you could be with her in first class and the other back in coach. I'd be honest. You haven't mentioned dementia. I'd do it during midday. I'd make sure she's had something wonderful to eat before getting on the plane, and that favorite snacks would be packed. There is wheelchair service by the airport. I guess you'd have to check her chair into baggage claim? The flight wouldn't be that long, right? I would book only a direct flight, of course.
What concerns do you have?
Jane
@c174925s I'm assuming there's family on the Texas end? With this senior be living with, near family? Are they able to live alone? Unless there are extenuating circumstances, I think the issues are pretty similar to moving across country at any age: how to uproot, pack and re-establish a life. What am I not seeing?
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