Attending a special event can be stressful for people who have neurologic conditions, and even more so if the event isn't taking place close to home and they have to travel to get there. These strategies may ease some of the travel-related anxiety for those people and their travel companions.
Travel early and choose priority boarding. Sarah Chen, a licensed social worker at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, recommends avoiding late-night flights, connecting flights, and long layovers, especially if symptoms worsen at night or with fatigue. If you book the first flight of the day, you may encounter fewer delays, she says. Arrange for priority boarding and TSA PreCheck (expedited screening), if possible, so you don't have to wait long in lines and can preserve your energy for the big event.
Book wisely. On many hotel booking websites, you can narrow searches to accessible properties, and some sites, such as accessibleGO, highlight accessibility features in their listings. If you use travel agents or tour companies to book, make sure they're aware of your needs. The same is true for hotels and booking agents: Ask questions and be direct about your needs.
Pay attention to bathrooms. Contact the hotel—not the hotel chain—directly to inquire about roll-in showers and grab bars by the toilet. Tina Zimmerman, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, says hotel staff have physically checked rooms when she has called with questions to find one with the bathroom grab bars she needs. Traveling with someone who can assist you in the bathroom—for showering, moving around, and other reasons—also may be helpful, says Chen.
Take pictures. Anybody traveling with someone who has a neurologic disorder that can cause confusion or disorientation should have a current photograph of the person to show hotel staff and others in case the person wanders off and gets lost. On one occasion, Chen recalled, a person with dementia exited the bathroom through a second door while the caregiver was waiting at the other, and they became separated. Photos also can help travelers remember what they need for future trips. “We took a picture of the hotel bathroom, so now when we make reservations [we can say], ‘Here's a picture of what I need my bathroom to look like,'” Zimmerman says. “It's an extra step, but doing a little bit of homework is really valuable.”
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