Many older people plan fabulous vacations in their later years. The travel industry has developed accessible vacations and ocean cruises that provide lodging and activities designed for those who use mobility chairs, wheelchairs, canes, walkers, etc. If your elderly family member mentions planning such a trip out of the blue, check that their caregiver or partner hasn’t unduly influenced this major expense, something that cases like the one involving Claudette Schwartz have brought to light. In most cases, everything checks out, and your family member simply wants to enjoy their opportunity to travel.
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Domestic Travel Opportunities
Maybe your family member hasn’t yet booked their travel. According to Travel and Leisure, many locations in the U.S. offer luxurious hotels and spas, delicious gourmet food, and accessible housing plus activities. Consider the following unique and fun destinations: • Oceanfront Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina • Desert landscapes at the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix, Arizona • Golf at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, California • Explore wine country at Cavallo Point in Sausalito, California • Lakefront, small town life at Mission Point on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Each destination provides accessible rooms, bathrooms, buildings, and activities.
International Travel Destinations
Some older individuals obtain a passport and use the free time that retirement affords them to explore the world. Popular European destinations include the Italian cities of Florence and Rome, Paris, France, London, England, and Athens, Greece. For those who don’t want to plan a trip alone, consider an ocean cruise. According to Senior Safety Advice, five major cruise lines offer cruises designed for those in their senior years.
Traveling via ocean liner provides an all-inclusive trip because the cruise price includes the stateroom, meals, some drinks, and most on-ship activities. Some cruises cover hosted tours of all ports of call, while others cover two or three chosen by the vacationer. An individual can choose to leave the ship on their own and explore any port of call independently.
Pre-planning Virtually
Those new to traveling after developing mobility issues may want to explore the area before visiting in person. Technology advances, such as virtual reality headsets, make this possible. Headsets and hand control sets that connect to a smartphone or computer cost less than standalone devices. Expect to pay between $50 and $150 for devices that tether to a phone or computer and around $500 for a standalone unit.
While wearing these systems over one’s eyes, the individual experiences the distant location as if they visited in person. Many vacationers preview the accessibility of a location using virtual means, while those who can’t travel due to illness use virtual headsets to travel virtually to many locales and experience the destinations first-hand. Whether visiting in person or virtually, an older person can enjoy a fun vacation anywhere in the world with accessible trips.