Travel Safety for Aging Parents: What to Do Before They Leave
An aging parent does not have to stop traveling simply because they are getting older. But a little planning matters more now. Medications, Medicare coverage, mobility, emergency contacts and even a dead cell phone can turn a small travel problem into a much bigger one.
The Goal Is Not to Stop Them From Traveling
The goal is to make sure everyone knows what happens if something goes wrong. Before Mom or Dad leaves, someone at home should know where they are going, where they are staying, how to reach them and what medical information may be needed in an emergency.
Start With the Trip They Are Actually Taking
A weekend visit to family two states away is very different from a cruise, an international trip or three weeks traveling alone. Look at the real trip, not simply your parent's age.
Where Are They Going?
Consider distance from medical care, weather, altitude, heat, walking requirements and accessibility.
How Are They Getting There?
Driving, flying, cruising and traveling by train each create different medication, mobility and emergency planning issues.
Are They Traveling Alone?
A parent who manages well at home may have more difficulty navigating an unfamiliar airport, hotel, city or transportation system.
Has Anything Changed Recently?
A new medication, recent fall, hospitalization, confusion, shortness of breath or change in mobility deserves more thought before a trip.
Medications Need Their Own Travel Plan
Do not assume prescriptions can simply be replaced wherever your parent is going.
- Pack enough medication for the entire trip.
- Consider extra medication in case travel is delayed.
- Keep medications in their original labeled containers when traveling internationally.
- Carry medications in carry-on luggage rather than checked baggage when flying.
- Bring a current medication list.
- Include both brand and generic names where possible.
- Keep a list of medication allergies.
- Plan ahead for medications that require refrigeration.
- Ask the prescriber how to handle medication timing when crossing time zones.
International Travel Changes the Rules
A medication that is legal and commonly prescribed in the United States may be restricted in another country. Check the destination's rules before your parent travels rather than discovering the problem at customs.
What Happens to Medicare When They Travel?
Travel Inside the United States
With Original Medicare, a beneficiary can generally use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare anywhere in the United States.
Medicare Advantage works differently. A plan may use a provider network and service area for non-emergency care. Before a longer trip, check the specific plan's rules for routine, urgent and out-of-area care.
Travel Outside the United States
This is where families can get caught off guard. Original Medicare generally does not cover health care outside the United States except in limited situations.
Some Medicare Supplement policies may provide limited foreign travel emergency coverage. Some Medicare Advantage plans may also provide certain emergency or urgently needed services outside the United States. Coverage varies, so check the actual policy before leaving.
Medicare Part D generally does not cover prescription drugs purchased outside the United States.
Do Not Assume “Travel Insurance” Means Medical Insurance
Trip cancellation coverage and medical coverage are not necessarily the same thing.
For international travel, look specifically at whether the policy includes emergency medical treatment and medical evacuation. The U.S. Department of State recommends that older travelers consider coverage for emergency medical, dental and evacuation services.
Medical Evacuation Can Matter
Getting sick abroad may involve much more than paying a doctor's bill. Depending on the situation, someone could need transportation to another city, another country or back to the United States. Look specifically at what a travel medical policy does and does not cover.
Give Someone at Home the Trip Information
One trusted person should know more than, “They're somewhere in Italy.”
Leave a Copy of:
- Flight or transportation information
- Hotel or lodging information
- Tour or cruise information
- Travel dates
- A basic itinerary
- Travel companion information
- Emergency contact information
- A copy of the passport identification page for international travel
- Health insurance information
- Travel insurance information
- A current medication list
- Important medical information
Put Important Information on the Traveler Too
The person at home having all the information does not help much if your parent is unconscious in another city and nobody knows whom to call.
Your parent should carry emergency contact information and important medical information with them.
- Full name
- Emergency contact name and phone number
- Major medical conditions
- Medication list
- Drug allergies
- Insurance information
- Doctor information when appropriate
This can be kept on the phone, on a medical ID, in a wallet card or in more than one place.
The Cell Phone Is Part of the Safety Plan
Before the trip, make sure the phone will actually work where your parent is going.
- Check cellular coverage.
- Check international roaming before leaving the country.
- Pack the correct charging cables.
- Bring a portable battery pack if appropriate.
- Make emergency contacts easy to find.
- Set up location sharing if your parent wants to use it.
- Make sure someone at home knows how to see the shared location.
Agree on What “Checking In” Means
If your parent normally does not call every day, do not create unnecessary panic because they miss a single text. Before they leave, agree on how often they expect to check in and what the family should do if nobody can reach them.
Mobility Changes the Trip
Someone may be perfectly independent at home because the house is familiar. Airports, cruise terminals, cobblestone streets, hotel bathrooms and long walking distances are different.
- Request airport assistance ahead of time when needed.
- Confirm wheelchair or mobility accommodations.
- Ask about accessible hotel rooms.
- Think about bathroom accessibility.
- Consider how far your parent can realistically walk.
- Plan for rest periods.
- Bring mobility equipment they already know how to use.
International Travel Deserves Extra Planning
The U.S. Department of State recommends several additional steps for older adults traveling internationally.
- Check passport validity well before departure.
- Check visa or entry requirements.
- Review destination-specific health information.
- Check whether medications are legal at the destination.
- Know how to reach the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.
- Leave itinerary and passport information with someone at home.
- Consider enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, known as STEP.
STEP is a free State Department service that can provide safety and security alerts and can make it easier for the U.S. embassy or consulate to contact a traveler or emergency contact during a crisis.
When It May Be Time to Rethink the Trip
Age by itself is not the reason to cancel a trip. A meaningful change in health or function might be.
Talk with the appropriate healthcare professional before traveling when there has been a recent hospitalization, significant new confusion, repeated falls, worsening breathing problems, major medication changes, unstable medical symptoms or another change that raises concern about whether the trip is safe.
The Before-They-Leave Checklist
- Medication supply packed
- Extra medication considered for delays
- Medication list packed
- Insurance cards packed
- Medicare coverage while traveling checked
- Travel medical coverage reviewed if going abroad
- Emergency contacts updated
- Medical information available
- Itinerary shared with someone at home
- Passport copy left with trusted family if traveling internationally
- Cell phone coverage checked
- Phone charger packed
- Location sharing set up if desired
- Mobility assistance arranged if needed
- Check-in expectations agreed upon
Sources & Travel References
- Medicare.gov: Travel Outside the U.S.
- Medicare.gov: Original Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage
- CDC: Older Adults and Healthy Travel
- U.S. Department of State: Age 65+ Travelers
Insurance coverage, health recommendations and international entry requirements can change. Check current plan documents and official travel guidance before departure.
Helping an Aging Parent Stay Independent?
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