August 24, 2026
Traveling With a Senior: How to Make the Trip Safer, Easier, and More Enjoyable
Aging Wisely Basics
Traveling With a Senior: How to Make the Trip Safer, Easier, and More Enjoyable
Travel does not have to stop as we get older. Family vacations, cruises, weddings, reunions, visits with grandchildren, and even bucket-list trips can remain an important part of life well into our later years. But traveling at 75 or 85 can look very different from traveling at 45, and with the busy holiday season coming up quickly, many families are starting to plan.
The key is not traveling less. It is traveling smarter.
Whether you are a senior planning your own trip or an adult child traveling with an aging parent, a little extra preparation can make the difference between an exhausting experience and a wonderful memory.
Successful travel with a senior does not mean seeing everything.
It means helping someone continue experiencing the people, places, and moments that matter to them while adapting the trip to their changing needs.
That might mean using a wheelchair at the airport even though Dad does not normally use one.
It might mean taking an afternoon nap instead of visiting another attraction.
It might mean renting an accessible home, bringing a caregiver, or spending a little more money for a direct flight.
Those accommodations don’t take anything away from the trip. They often make the trip possible.
Here are some of the most important things to consider before the next trip.
- Plan around the senior, not the itinerary.
- Give yourself more time than you think you need.
- Use airport assistance.
- Make medication planning a priority.
- Think about fall risk before you leave home.
- Pack for the unexpected.
Technology Spotlight
A Different Way to Evacuate Before a Hurricane
We are getting close to September, which is when hurricane season starts to feel very real here in Florida.
This isn’t my typical technology spotlight, but I recently came across a new service that I think seniors and their families should at least know exists: PriorityEvac.
One of the biggest challenges I see with hurricane planning isn’t buying water, batteries, or putting up shutters. It’s answering a much harder question:
If Mom or Dad needs to evacuate, how are we actually going to get them out?
For an older adult, sitting in a car for 10, 15, or even 20 hours in evacuation traffic may simply not be realistic. Add mobility issues, medications, pets, medical equipment, or an adult child who lives hundreds of miles away, and evacuation can quickly become complicated.
PriorityEvac is trying to solve that problem in an interesting way.
For $1,250 per person per year, members receive access to pre-arranged evacuation flights when specific hurricane activation criteria are met. For residents of Pinellas, Hillsborough, and Pasco counties, the designated airport is Tampa International Airport. Members are flown to Atlanta, where they can arrange lodging or continue traveling elsewhere. Membership currently includes up to two qualifying activations during the hurricane season.
What I especially like about the concept is that the decision is made before the storm is coming. The company reserves aviation capacity in advance and uses National Hurricane Center forecast criteria to determine when the program activates.
There are some important limitations. You still have to get yourself or your loved one to the designated airport, and once you arrive in Atlanta, hotels, transportation, meals, and any onward travel are your responsibility. This is also a new service, so families should review the membership agreement and understand exactly what is and isn’t included before relying on it as part of an emergency plan.
Whether you use a service like this, plan to drive, stay with family, use a shelter, or have another option, make the decision now. Know where you’re going, how you’re getting there, what medications and documents you’re taking, and who is responsible for helping Mom or Dad.
All About Aging
Who Is Your Role Model for Aging?
We all have role models in life. People we admire in business, parenting, relationships, or leadership. But have you ever thought about your role model for aging?
For many of us, it starts with our parents. We look at how our parents or grandparents aged and think one of two things:
“I hope I age just like that.”
Or…
“I definitely don’t want to age that way.”
Both can teach us something. The hard part about aging is that it is difficult to know exactly what you will want at 75, 85, or 95 when you haven’t gotten there yet.
Will you want to stay in your home? Will maintaining that home become a burden? Will you want to live closer to your children? Will you be comfortable accepting help? What will be most important to you if you can no longer drive? How much will your social life matter? What happens if your spouse needs care before you do?
We don’t have to wait until we get there to start figuring it out.
Look at the people ahead of you.
Think about your parents, grandparents, neighbors, friends, or other older adults you admire.
What are they doing well?
Maybe they stayed physically active. Maybe they downsized before they had to. Maybe they built a strong group of friends. Maybe they moved closer to family. Maybe they planned financially for care. Maybe they stopped driving before an accident forced the decision. Maybe they accepted a little help at home so they could remain independent longer.
Those are clues for your own plan.
Now think about the situations you would want to handle differently.
Maybe your parents waited too long to ask for help. Maybe nobody talked about finances until there was a crisis. Maybe their home became difficult to maintain. Maybe the family didn’t know what Mom or Dad wanted, so everyone was forced to guess.
You don’t have to copy someone else’s aging journey
The goal isn’t to say, “I want to age exactly like Mom.”
Take the things you admire. Learn from the things you don’t. Then start building your own version of aging well.
Aging Wisely isn’t about predicting exactly what your future will look like. It’s about learning from the people who got there before you and putting yourself in the best position to choose when your turn comes.