AS people live longer than ever before, more senior citizens are embarking on travel after retirement.
Many people decide to travel for enjoyment or just to visit family after retirement and this is exactly why the South African Society of Travel Medicine (SASTM) and the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT) felt the need for a guide to help people travel better.
ALSO READ: The Stress Code too stressful to read
Healthy Travel, a pocket guide for seniors by Claire Westmacott, MPH, a health writer and researcher for IAMAT, is the result and as the title suggests, it fits neatly into a jacket pocket making it ideal for travelling seniors to take with them on their adventures.
“Seniors are increasingly becoming a larger proportion of international travellers. We wanted to create a resource that addresses their common questions and concerns so that they are prepared for their journey,” said Westmacott.
“We cannot always avoid the unexpected but we can prepare for it by understanding the risks and doing our best to manage them. Whether you are travelling with medication, managing a health condition, curious about travel health insurance, or just mindful of your health, we hope this guide can be of use.”
A guide in three parts
The book is broken into three parts.
The first entitled: Trip preparation, includes chapters on planning for a healthy trip, food and water safety, how to prevent mosquito and tick bits, vaccines, travelling with medication and the ins and outs of travel health insurance.
The second part of the book deals with important health considerations needed for those travelling. Its chapters include one detailing the different types of travel, how to cope with environmental conditions during trips away, the important need to consider accessibility and mobility, jet lag, how travel is stressful and how to cope with it and the rigours of high altitudes and what to expect.
The third part of the book outlines how to deal with health conditions and covers the whole gamut of conditions from skin conditions and aches and pains, to more serious conditions of the blood and cardiovascular system, bowel and bladder condition, respiratory illness and even mild cognitive impairment and dementia. There is also a chapter on dealing with diabetes when travelling.
Accessibility matters
The entire book is written in easy to understand language with clearly set out tips as well a being fully indexed for easy searching for answers on the spot.
There are also amusing diagrams and illustrations which help to break up the chapters into easy to handle chunks of helpful information rather than leaving the reader feeling like they are wading through a medical journal.
ALSO READ: Journey with Stagg on long and winding road
The typeface has even taken the elderly, many of whom have trouble reading small lettering, into account with a slightly larger than normal, san serif font.
This book is recommended for all travellers, even though it is aimed at the elderly.
The book can be ordered direct from Marion Blewett at SASTM by emailing admin@sastm.org.za.
Do you want to receive alerts regarding this and other Highway community news via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5409.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Highway Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts.
