Aware in Care

It’s April and for many of us that means travel.   Sometimes we travel between homes, other times we travel to new places.  Travel can be more hazardous as we age, but it is especially worrisome to a Person with Parkinson’s.

The most obvious concern is to take medications on time.  This can be tricky when changing time zones.  You want to be able to travel comfortably and safely.  This might mean  making some adjustments like asking for an aisle seat on a plane so you can more easily get up to stretch or asking for wheel chair assistance even if you don’t normally need it.  (I almost always reserve the wheel chair and if I feel well enough to walk, I just tell them I don’t need it today.)

What happens if you or your travel partner has a medical emergency or extended delay.  I always take two weeks of medication more than I need for a trip.  Also  you should have a list of medications and probably a list of doctors and family members with contact information.

The Parkinsons Foundation can provide you with an Aware in Care kit.  This has a bag for your medications, information about Parkinsons in general and a chart of common medications that interact with Parkinsons medications and more including a medical ID bracelet.   These kits can be obtained from the Parkinsons Foundation.

from Gloria Friedman, Shorelines, April 2022