Travel and Arthritis.
Last updated Thursday, February 10, 2005
Tips for long-distance travelGeneral tips - Begin a trip or outing well rested.
- Set aside time to rest at your destination before beginning activities.
- Prevent
stiffness with simple range-of-motion exercises such as ankle circles,
shoulder circles, wrist and hand exercises, leg lifts, moving legs in a
jogging or walking motion to stimulate circulation, getting up and
moving around if possible.
- Accept help and special services when needed.
- Ask tour guides how much walking is required.
- If
walking is difficult for you or if you tend to tire easily consider
requesting a wheelchair or motorized cart, even if you usually do not
require one. It may allow you to enjoy activities which might otherwise
be painful or impossible (some recreational facilities provide
wheelchairs).
- Don't let yourself get overtired.
- Set priorities for activities.
- Don't expect to do everything--especially in one day.
- Alternate active periods with restful ones.
- Schedule rest periods for yourself, as well as your family. Traveling may be tiring for them also.
- Anticipate
how you will spend time by yourself in case you are unable to join or
keep up with the group's activities (for example, browse through a book
store or enjoy a snack at a corner cafe while others shop more
extensively).
Hotels Hotel arrangements can make your trip pleasant and enjoyable or
totally unbearable. Therefore, keep your needs in mind when selecting
hotels. Many of the better hotel chains have specially designed rooms
for people who have disabilities available at no extra charge. Make
sure to specify in advance any special arrangements you will need and
get written confirmation of any guaranteed accommodations.
Organizations such as the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH)
and the Association for Specialized Services Involving Special
Travelers (ASSIST) provide hotel and other travel information for
people with disabilities.
Before making hotel reservations, ask about any of the following accommodations that pertain to you.
- Walking distance and amount of stairs to the room, restaurant, pool, beach, gift shop or other areas of interest.
- Whether telephones are placed conveniently beside the bed and in the bathroom.
- Location of the elevators.
-
Availability of hotel-provided transportation to and from the airport
which can easily be used by someone with mobility limitations or a
wheelchair.
- Accessibility and availability of heated pools for exercise and relaxation.
- Whether hand rails are located beside toilet and tub.
- Availability of levers instead of round knobs for doors, faucets, and shower/ bathtub controls.
- Availability of room service where food and laundry services are inaccessible.
- Distance from the lobby to your room.
- Lowered light and thermostat switches or closet bars.
- Low pile carpet.
- Raised toilet seat.
- Sinks and vanity tops which allow space for wheelchairs.
- Trapeze bar above the bed to aid with transfer to and from the wheelchair. (Consider bringing your own trapeze bar.)
- Ramp to entrance door.
- Handicapped parking.
- Fire exits for the handicapped or first floor rooms in case of fire.
Travel insurance Illness of any kind can interrupt travel plans, yet most airline and
hotel reservations are made well in advance. While some deposits are
refundable, others are not. You may receive full or partial refunds if
cancellations are due to illness and if refund requests are accompanied
by a doctor's statement. Nonetheless, some people prefer to purchase
trip cancellation insurance which reimburses portions of your deposit
for hotel, holiday package, and airfare. It can be purchased from a
travel or insurance agent.
In addition, some people purchase medical insurance for travelers
called "trip or travel insurance." This type of insurance provides
payment for medical services received during a trip. Some policies have
a clause that exempts coverage of any pre-existing condition (treated
60-90 days prior to purchase or travel date), so be sure to understand
the policy and what it covers. Also find out about the policy's maximum
payouts, age restrictions, and types of services covered. Before
purchasing medical trip insurance, find out what provisions your own
health insurance has for covering medical care during travel. Medical care
Discuss your travel plans with your doctor. Ask if you need any special
tests, treatment, or travel precautions. Also ask your doctor what to
do in case symptoms worsen during the trip.
Wear a medic-alert bracelet at all times to get appropriate medical
care in case of an emergency. This is especially important for people
who take steroids, or who have allergies, heart disease, diabetes, or
other special medical conditions or requirements.
Other tips:
- Complete any necessary lab studies or medication injections before you leave.
- If you anticipate stomach or motion sickness, ask your doctor to recommend appropriate medication.
- Eat lightly before and during travel.
- Obtain
the name of a physician or clinic at your destination from your doctor
or someone familiar with your destination. Bring along a summary of
your medical history.
- If you have arthritis in your
neck or neck pain, support your neck in an upright position with a soft
cervical collar or horseshoe pillow. This will protect your head from
bobbing if you should fall asleep.
- Should you become ill, most hotels employ a doctor or can refer you to a clinic
Medications
Always carry medications with you in your carry-on bag or purse; luggage may get lost or over-heated.
Other tips:
- Take medications with you when sightseeing so you can stay on schedule. You never know when you may be delayed.
- Bring enough medications to last the length of the trip plus an extra refill in case of spills or delays.
- Take along current prescriptions in case medications get lost.
- Keep medications in labeled plastic containers.
- Containers with liquid medications should only be 3/4 full. Keep these in plastic bags in case of leakage.
- Carry snacks with you if you need to take food with your medications.
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