If your Google search led you to this blog post, you are probably looking for a way to support an elderly person on a long-distance flight. Someone who would otherwise have to travel alone. And you are worried about that last scenario.
First of all: many families are in the same situation. Second: if you are worried, you probably have a good reason. Third: this blog post highlights a few important things to consider. Hiring a professional travel companion is one of those things.
Is it safe for an elderly person to fly alone?
You know your aging parent or grandparent best. We can only share an opinion on your case if we know the story in more detail.
What we can tell you is that 80- and 90-year old’s travel on commercial flights all the time. Worldwide and year-round. But ask anyone who works for an airline, and you’ll hear that many of them are dropped off at the airport, with the expectation to make it to their destination on their own, only to end up stranded somewhere because of a variety of problems that could have been avoided if they weren’t traveling alone.
Our perspective on the matter is simple: if an elderly person needs support at home with activities of daily living, be it regular checks by neighbours, home care, a private nurse, or a caregiver of some sort, they will also need support in transit, and on a flight. More so, if an elderly traveler is living in a long-term care facility. They will need help for sure. At the same time, we know that being care-dependent does not mean that you can’t fly anymore. It’s a matter of arriving at the airport well-prepared for possible challenges. By thinking one step ahead and being proactive, even a centenarian can safely fly.
Can an airline wheelchair attendant help my elderly parents at the airport?
Commercial airlines have a responsibility to accommodate passengers who need mobility assistance. If you book a flight and ask the airline for a wheelchair at the airport, you’ll get it, free of charge.
But not all wheelchair assistants are made equal. Each day thousands upon thousands of travelers are assisted by a caring wheelchair attendant who provides nothing short of an excellent customer experience. But we’ve also seen situations at airports around the world, where the service was sloppy, careless, and even embarrassing.
Also, because it is so easy to book a wheelchair, many people don’t realize that airline wheelchair assistance is a limited resource that is overloaded by demand at most major airports. The sad reality is that parallel to the passengers who depend on a wheelchair to make it to their flights, the service is often misused by people whose only intention is to bypass the lineups.
Here is what happens every day: when a mobility-impaired passenger lands at a busy airport, the same group of wheelchair assistants is attending multiple flights, each bringing in multiple passengers who booked wheelchair assistance. Each passenger needs to be transported over a long distance within the terminal. During peak times it is impossible to keep up with the demand and meet every passenger on time. And that is how some of them miss their connecting flight and are left in a stressful situation.
How does airline wheelchair assistance differ from a travel companion for the elderly?
Airline wheelchair services are provided by either airline staff or a contracted company at the airport. Their task is to make sure that mobility-impaired passengers get onto and off their flights. They transport people from point A to point B. As simple as that. If a passenger needs help with a toilet visit at the airport, a changeout of an ostomy bag, administration of insulin or any type of care-related task for that matter, a family member should travel with the passenger to provide that care. On the flight, it works the same: flight attendants can assist with moving the passenger to and from a lavatory, but they are not permitted to provide any other type of personal care. They can’t help in the toilet for example. A certain level of independency is expected if no one else is traveling with the elderly passenger.
Travel companions, on the other hand, stay with the passenger at the airport, on the flight, and at the destination airport. Their responsibility is to take care of the passenger, and that will include toilet visits, assistance with eating and drinking and helping with mobility. At JET COMPANION, a travel companion is always a trained nurse. For that reason, we also call them a “medical travel companion” or a “medical escort”, because like in a nursing home or a hospital, they are also able to administer medication, provide behavioral support, handle oxygen and monitoring onboard, and much more. They also don’t have a list of other tasks, as flight attendants do. You’re paying for a private flight-nurse, dedicated to your loved one. For some travelers, that is the only way they can safely be transported. For others, having a flight nurse as a travel companion “in case of” is what ultimately gives the family peace of mind.
How is a professional travel companion different from a travel buddy for the elderly?
Travel buddies are individuals who advertise on social media or match-making platforms to travel with a senior, often in exchange for the shared travel experience, some cash or both. There are also Facebook groups where people can pair up their elderly family-member with other passengers on the same flight, who are willing to “keep an eye”. Caregivers with different backgrounds and ex-flight attendants also sometimes offer their services as travel companions for seniors. For a family at the receiving end, it’s hard to gauge in advance what you’ll get for your money. In general, the level of care that can be provided is basic, and unpredictable if anything goes wrong during the trip.
On the other hand, professional travel companion companies that commit to escorting elderly travelers, must have a system in place to address all needs that are reasonable to be expected, plus to adequately respond to unexpected situations, like a medical emergency. They must be properly insured, have access to medical advice and have procedures in place to prevent common age-related problems, like a fall or an incontinence incident. At JET COMPANION, all travel companions are trained flight nurses, who are familiar with the challenges of flying for long hours, and troubleshooting when things don’t go as planned. All sorts of things can go wrong, from delays and cancellations to missed connections and lost bags. In our experience, having an organization behind the nurse who can troubleshoot when problems arise, is what makes the difference if a travel companion is able to meet the expectation of providing a “seamless journey”.
How is a professional travel companion different from a travel buddy for the elderly?
There is a lot that a professional travel companion for elderly can do to make sure that the person is comfortable at all times. A good travel companion will first find out what an elderly traveler needs to have a pleasant travel experience, and will be dedicated to creating that experience at the airport, in a taxi, on the plane, during transit…all the way to the final destination. A professional travel companion can be expected to take care of the luggage, help with documents at check in and assist at immigration, customs and airport security screenings. He’ll get the elderly traveler to the right gate at the right time, and assist with boarding. The elderly traveler can count on a good conversation, help with meals, toileting, and resting on the plane, and the travel companion will also be the senior’s advocate if there are unexpected problems, and things need to be sorted with the airline.
We often tell our clients: “Your family sent us with you, to make sure that everything goes well and without any stress.” But, because our travel companions are actually flight nurses, they can do much more. In the same way that a family caregiver can need the help of a home care nurse, a flight nurse can be preferred instead of having a family member fly along. They can control pain or anxiety for example, or handle a feeding tube, urinary catheter or anything else on the care plan that cannot be cancelled or postponed for the duration of the journey.
Hiring a travel companion is also a preventive measure: it’s taking care of all sorts of small challenges so that they never escalate into a bigger problems.
When to hire a travel companion for an elderly traveler?
A long list of age-related conditions can be well-controlled at home but can present a problem if the elderly person goes on a long trip. Traveling is exhausting, and being at altitude affects all sorts of normal bodily functions. Older people have fewer reserves and any pre-existing health problems will certainly put extra pressure on the aging body and mind. We recommend considering a medical travel companion any time an elderly traveler is flying with:
- A condition that affects the brain and cognition, like dementia, Parkinson’s, permanent disability after a stroke, a brain injury or multiple sclerosis.
- A significant fall risk due to for example stiff joints, balance issues, or weakness of the muscles. A recent fall or an overwhelming fear of falling are both red flags.
- Severe anxiety. The transition to a long-term care facility overseas, the chaotic airport, the time pressure to catch a connecting flight, the fast pace at airport security checkpoints and the impatience of fellow passengers when it is time to board or deplane…it can all be overwhelming for an older person who moves and thinks slower, hears less and can’t see very well. The news headlines about flight cancellations, lost luggage, and ever-changing covid restrictions don’t help much either to reduce the anticipatory stress.
- Multiple health conditions, regulated by medication. Elderly people tend to be sensitive to changes in medication that regulate for example blood sugar, blood pressure, heart and lung conditions or different types of pain. When undertaking a long international journey, extra attention should be given to the medication schedule due to time zone crossings, and the way the body reacts to flying for a prolonged time.
- ADL dependency: an elderly person who in his daily life needs professional help to maintain functional autonomy, will need help to travel, especially if one or more flights are scheduled. Hiring a professional travel companion will empower the elderly person to travel and reach important milestones in life, despite health challenges.
- Discharge from a hospital: elderly people who have been hospitalized are often frail and vulnerable. Not only do they need to catch their strengths again, but they often need time to regain their rhythm and self-confidence. Here in Canada, it is quite common for someone who lives in a remote community to be medevac’d to the city for medical treatment. If after discharge, an air ambulance is not warranted, a commercial flight is booked for the patient to return to the home community. But escorting the patient home, or booking a medical escort for the task is generally considered the responsibility of the family.
- Transferring from one long-term care facility to another. An elderly person who receives ongoing support in a care home, and needs to be transferred to another province or state, to be closer to family members, should never be left to travel alone, considering the reasons why the senior could not live at home anymore. But is also very stressful for an elderly person to be moved to a new facility. Emotional support can be a very important reason to arrange a travel companion.
How does hiring a travel companion for elderly work?
At JET COMPANION, we provide travel companions for elderly travelers all over the world. Our travel companions are all professional nurses, who are knowledgeable when it comes to dealing with age-related care needs in the travel environment. The trip is prepared in advance, and we book all the flights and transport to and from the airport. You pay one price. The travel companion picks up the elderly person at the airport, at the door or at the bedside. They stay together until the final destination is reached. Once the elderly person has arrived, care is transferred to someone else and the travel companion flies back to Canada.
Do you know someone who can use the services of a travel companion? Let’s talk.
Send us a message and tell us more about your plans.