6 steps to planning a successful trip with your older parent

STEP 3: RESEARCH ACCOMMODATIONS, TOUR GUIDES AND RESTAURANTS Once you have figured out the details of your trip, you can research lodgings, tour guides and restaurants. If your parent has 

accessibility needs or they aren’t easily mobile, it’s important to make sure the places are able to accommodate their needs. Naughton also tries to duplicate routines that his parents have

at home. “What is it that they need at home that can be replicated at a hotel?” he asks. Naughton will book a hotel that offers breakfast so that his parents can take their medications

without leaving the hotel. He also books a first-floor room that has a shower without a bathtub that they would need to step over. Another important feature is a sofa bed or lounge chair so

that his parents can sit in it if their backs are feeling sore. Another reason to book a first-floor room is when a hotel doesn’t have an elevator. Jill Schildhouse, 46, a freelance

journalist, travels regularly with her parents, both 69. She recently stayed with her mom at a boutique hotel without an elevator, so she booked a ground-floor room. Even though her mom

doesn’t have accessibility issues, climbing a lot of stairs would have been challenging for her. Using a tour guide at your destination is a great way to sightsee, but it’s important to make

sure they offer accessibility features and are willing to move at a slower pace if necessary. Nathan Fluellen, host of the Wondrium travel series _Discovering West Africa_, suggests using

tour guides. He has traveled to seven continents with his 76-year-old mother and says that using a tour guide “alleviates the work or the stress of trying to figure out planning every single

part of the trip.” Schildhouse also likes to use tour guides but sometimes they might move at a fast pace. During a recent trip with a tour guide, “My mom pulled her aside and was, like,

‘Hey, just an FYI. You seem very energetic, which is great, but I am not able to walk as fast as you.’” Some older adults may have dietary restrictions or other food-related issues, so you

should research the restaurants in the area based on your parents’ needs. “We have to be careful with diet, and we’re not eating anything that’s going to be too crazy,” says Naughton. THE

TRAVEL PHASE STEP 4: WHAT TO PACK As you age, your memory can fade, so creating written packing checklists for your parents is imperative. “I think my parents have, like, a rudimentary

checklist or maybe a mental checklist. But as people age, that checklist is less and less reliable,” says Naughton. Spicer also recommends including on the packing list any “creature

comforts that they might have.” You should also include any prescription and over-the-counter medications along with any other needs like incontinence underwear and multiple changes of

clothes. “Bring extra medicine, just in case,” advises Fluellen. If you’re flying, these should be packed in the carry-on bag in case the checked bag gets lost.