Taking a senior family member on vacation is a delightful experience, giving you time to unwind, connect and make memories together. However, preparing for travel with an older adult can be an involved process. Without the local resources you typically rely on, you’ll need to arrange for ways to meet all of their needs in advance—and prepare contingencies in case anything goes wrong.
It can be intimidating facing down the long list of tasks you’ll need to handle when preparing for a family vacation, but McHenry County provides a lot of resources to make it easier. Here are some of our favorites.
Top Senior Travel Resources in McHenry County
Senior travel preparations always have a lot of moving parts, but you don’t have to handle everything on your own. From shoe stores and bookstores to dogsitting services that offer peace of mind, McHenry County is full of resources that make it easier to prepare for your family trip.
- Find Them a Travel Read
Loving family members might be the best travel companions for seniors, but a good book is a close second. If your trip will have a lot of downtime, few things are as relaxing as curling up with a romance, biography or memoir by a lake or beach. For long rides on the plane or tour bus, mysteries or thrillers are the perfect way to make the time go faster.
Here’s the good news: McHenry’s local bookshops can find your loved one the perfect read for their tastes and travel plans. Many of them even stock large-print copies, which are more legible and reduce eye strain.
- Get Off On the Right Foot
People tend to think of vacations as opportunities to kick back and relax, but seniors typically spend more time on their feet while traveling than they do in everyday life. To help them keep their balance and explore in comfort, it’s crucial to make sure they bring a pair of well-made walking shoes in good condition.
Fortunately, McHenry County has plenty of shoe shops to suit seniors’ needs and tastes. If your loved one is a traditionalist, our local booteries can fit them with a pair of high-quality walking shoes that are supportive, durable and stylish. If they’re just looking for ease of movement, athletic shoe stores offer lightweight, highly-cushioned shoes that make it easy to get around. Many of these stores can even conduct a sophisticated gait analysis to identify the perfect combination of shoe and insole for the senior in your life.
Whether your loved one prefers traditional leather shoes or modern athletic ones, make sure to take them shopping at least a week before you head off. This will give them time to break in their new shoes, preventing blisters and discomfort.
- Board Their Dog
If you’re planning a summer vacation with a senior in your life, you’ve probably already assembled a laundry list of things they’ll need help preparing for the trip. With so much going on, many people forget to ask one simple question: “What about the dog?”
Figuring out accommodations for your loved one’s pet can be the last thing on your mind when you’re juggling itineraries, passports and travel insurance, but no dog lover will be able to enjoy their trip without knowing their furry friend is in good hands. If you’re taking a short trip, you may be able to get a friend or neighbor to dogsit while you’re gone with a few weeks’ notice. But for longer vacations, it’s best to board their dog with a trustworthy professional dogsitter. (It’s also good to keep a pro available as a second option in case Plan A falls through.)
Professional dogsitters and dog boarders almost always go into the business because of their love of (and experience with) dogs, so your loved one will be able to trust that their precious pooch is in good hands.
Get Help With Senior Travel Preparations in McHenry County, IL
Preparing for travel with an older adult can be complicated, but you don’t have to do it alone. From bookstores and shoe shops to keep your loved one entertained and comfortable to professional dogsitters they can trust to care for their pooch, McHenry County is full of resources to help make senior travel prep easier.
Need a little more assistance managing all the moving parts of your next family vacation? FirstLight Home Care of McHenry County is here to help. Through respite care, our compassionate caregivers can take care of your loved one so you have time to focus on making travel arrangements.
Want to learn more about how our caregivers can help? Contact us today.
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