Taking A Winter Trip To The South? Look Over This Medical Checklist

It is that time of the year again! Winter is setting in soon and some of us might have made plans for an extended escape to the South. Some people in the Northern US, Canada, etc. might choose to travel down south to a slightly warmer climate. But before you start your trip, always plan ahead for the trip, especially for older people.

Here are some health-related tips to keep in mind when you are traveling down south for a long stay. For older people, it is always good to have a medical checklist while planning for an extended stay in place. This will help them and their immediate relatives to be at peace. They can have a consultation with their healthcare expert before the trip and get suggestions from them about what medication they need to carry. 

Here Is A Medical Checklist Recommended By A Medical Expert

Dr.Isabel Valdez, Assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, recommends creating a medical checklist at least a month before the trip. Make sure that the destination that they have planned does come under health insurance.

Valdez also suggests establishing contact with a primary care doctor at the planned destination who can have contact with your doctor back at home. Also, if a medical checkup is due and you plan to do it at your travel destination then check with your insurance provider to get a list of hospitals around the place that are supported under the insurance plan.

Also, contact the insurance company through phone call or email and enquire about all the benefits of the health plan that you would be able to avail at the destination hospitals.  

Plan ahead and pack all the necessary medications for conditions like diabetes, thyroid, blood pressure, cardiac medications, etc. Insulins, inhalers, needles, syringes, lancets, glucometers, and strips should also be kept together with the medications, and make sure these are available throughout the journey and at the destination.

The medications should be packed to last for at least 90 days during the stay period as this would ensure an ample stock of medicines even if some aren’t available at medicine counters at the destination. If the stay goes beyond the planned time then services like local or national mail can be used to order medicines.

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Since it is the holiday season, Valdez recommends keeping in contact with a local medical pharmacy so that they can receive prescriptions directly from your doctor and can ship it to you at the earliest possible. All kinds of surgeries or medical procedures should be done at least three months before the trip as you can get proper recovery time and also get the opinion of your physician regarding the duration of recovery.

If some emergency procedure needs to be done, then don’t think twice, postpone your travel plans and prepare yourself mentally for the procedure if some emergency takes place at the destination then travel back only after getting proper rest. The paramount importance should be given to your health and well-being. 

Remember to carry power packs and extra batteries as this can be helpful to power up CPAP machines, nebulizers, etc. Valdez also reminds you to carry a physical or electronic copy of your medical records as this would be very crucial if some medical emergency arises.

She also suggests creating a medical power of attorney and sending it to the doctors at the location you are traveling to so that they will be able to make the proper timely decisions in case of any life-threatening emergencies. These are precautions that are taken for the worst possible scenarios and these shouldn’t discourage you from planning a trip or enjoying your life.