Make a list.
Be sure it’s complete, including dosage schedule. Make sure the list is accurate and up-to-date. If there’s any question, call the doctor(s) to make sure. If something happens and you have to take Grandma to the hospital, they'll ask to see the list. (Make sure you get it back from them!) . Keep the list in your or Grandma’s wallet, and make a copy to keep in the suitcase.
Pill Organizers
Chances are, if Grandma takes a lot of pills (and many people do), she already has a pill organizer. She may take pills on specific days, and at specific times during the day. If your trip is just for a day or two, you may get away with using the organizer Grandma already owns. But if you’ll be away for several days or more, purchase an additional one. Take one with you, and leave the other home so she'll have her meds all ready when she returns. Remember - Grandma may feel exhausted and a bit disoriented for a day or two after she returns, so it will be nice having her pills organized and ready.
Our Grandma takes pills at different times during the day, so the pill organizer shown below is perfect. Seven "strips," each for a day of the week, are contained in a plastic base. If she wants, she can remove a single strip and carry it in her handbag in case she's away from the hotel all day. (By the way, I would make sure that the pills are put away, and not left lying on the counter or on the dresser in the hotel room.)
Count out enough meds for the trip and the first few days back.
DO THIS SEVERAL DAYS OR A WEEK OR MORE before leaving, so that if you need to reorder, there's time to get the refills through the mail or from your local pharmacy. (Even if you use a local pharmacy, be aware that sometimes they run low on a particular med and have to order more!)
Once you know Grandma has all her meds in hand, help her load her pill organizer. It may or may not be necessary to actually do it for her, but I suggest being there, since this is something outside the routine, and she may become frustrated or nervous about it.
Refrigeration of Meds
Find out whether any of the meds require refrigeration. If they do, you should carry them in a size-appropriate, fabric-sided cooler, with one or more FROZEN freezer packs (whatever number it takes to keep the medication cold, plus extras). Freezer packs stay frozen for about a day. So if your trip is longer than that, you'll have to ensure that a refrigerator will be available to you. On one of my trips, our hotel did not have mini-fridges in the room, but the staff was happy to store the extra packs in the hotel freezer. (I had brought along two, so I could switch them out as needed.) We kept the medication in the cooler for the entire week, changing out freezer packs as needed. And I made sure there was a frozen pack ready for the day of travel home. (I just needed one, but your needs might be different!)
Sometimes a hotel does not routinely provide refrigerators in the rooms, but will deliver one to you upon request. One of my hotels had only 2 or 3 available, so I was glad I remembered to ask for one when I booked the room. When we checked in, it was in the room, all set up and fully cool.
Meds Other Than Pills
If your loved one takes an injectable drug or something other than a pill, find out whether or not it requires special permission for carrying through security at the airport, etc. Speak to someone at the airline, or research the TSA web site:
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1059.shtm
And when you get to the security line, DECLARE these items for inspection.
Always carry meds in your carry-on when traveling on a plane.
The airline’s web site has useful information about this. Here are some tips from the airlines and the Transportation Security Administration:
Delta: http://www.delta.com/traveling_checkin/travel_tips/health/before/index.jsp
American: http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/specialAssistance/planningAhead.jsp
TSA: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1059.shtm
TSA: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1374.shtm
If travel involves a country outside the U.S., check the laws for that country.
See Blog Archive in left sidebar for other posts:
Packing (March 11)
Freecycle (Feb. 17)
Renting a Car (Feb. 2)
Paid Caregivers (Jan. 13)
How to Select a Hotel (Dec. 28)
Expectations (Oct. 26)
Planning (Oct. 23)
