Your Care

Managing The Stress ~ Making The Decisions ~ Discovering The Meaning

Caregiving
Special Focus

Solutions

To Your Caregiving Situations

Throughout Your Caregiving Years

Meaningful Activities

Traveling with your care recipient

By Marianne Griebler

Getting away--whether to a cozy bed-and-breakfast or a bustling city hotel--offers a terrific opportunity to revitalize both body and spirit. You benefit...and so does your care recipient.

Which leads us to the topic of this article.

We all need a change of scenery to freshen our perspective--and that includes your care recipient as well. For once active adults, being homebound can be understandably difficult. Depending on his or her physical condition, a vacation could be just what your care recipient needs to maintain a good outlook on life. And you'll enjoy having fun and escaping the daily grind--together!

WHAT THE COMPLETELY-ACCESSIBLE VACATION LOOKS LIKE
I recently traveled with my family to Walt Disney World (WDW) in Orlando, Florida.
Waiting to ride "It's a Small World", I noticed a woman in a wheelchair a few feet in front of me. Grimly I wondered what the staff reaction would be when she got to the head of the line. Imagine my surprise when she was greeted pleasantly by two Disney employees, one who eased her into her seat, the other who swiftly folded her chair and loaded it on the ride. It took no longer for this disabled visitor to be seated than for any of us able-bodied folks. Because the Disney staff obviously knew how to handle the situation, this woman was spared any embarrassment or discomfort and could truly relax and enjoy her ride.

At the risk of sounding like an ad for WDW, I couldn't help but be impressed by how the entire Disney operation made the traveler with disabilities feel right at home. According to Jim Foster, of Foster Travel in Park Ridge, Ill., Mickey Mouse really does roll out the red carpet for visitors with special needs.

"WDW is #1 when it comes to accommodating travelers with special needs," says Jim. "Every hotel on the property is in complete compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; all the buses come equipped with special wheelchair lifts; and the personnel are trained to make all visitors feel welcome."

Other parks in the area, such as Sea World and Universal Studios, are also substantially barrier-free.

Walt Disney World may be an option for your family...or may not. So what do you do when you want to plan a vacation in the not-quite accessible rest of the world? Here's some tips from people who know:

1. PLAN EARLY.
According to Jim Foster, this is critical for enjoying a successful trip with your care recipient. Hotels and cruise lines have made some headway in accommodating travelers with disabilities, he told me, but progress is slow and there's still a long way to go.

"If a hotel has 400 rooms," says Jim, "perhaps five to 10 of those are completely accessible. The newer cruise ships are also more accessible; the older ships had lips in the doorways which made it impossible to roll a wheelchair through. But even with these advancements, you'll only find a handful of cabins that truly comply with ADA standards.

"So that means you need to make your reservations well in advance--with a much greater lead time than for the abled traveler. Get your airline tickets early too so you can secure the bulkhead seats and be sure you'll all sit together."

2. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS.
Deb Nyberg of Gridley, Ill., has taken many trips with her aunt Pat, who has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and requires a wheelchair. She'll be the first to tell you that not at all accessible hotel rooms live up to their name.

While traveling in San Francisco, Deb reports that, "We were able to get handicapped rooms, but found the rooms only provided handrails restaurant that promises an accessible dining room but, as you soon discover, no accessible restrooms."

Regardless of many positive advancements, this isn't an easy world for the disabled. Resolve to deal with this reality with humor instead or anger or frustration. And don't keep your opinions to yourself. Become an activist! Let management know what you think and quietly but firmly ask for change.

3. BE SURE TO PACK YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR.
Remembers Deb, "Once when we were in Monterey, Calif., with my friend Susan, we were window-shopping on a hillside. At one point Susan said, 'Deb, look at this!' and I let go of Pat's wheelchair handles to get a closer look. What was on display was really great, so I turned to tell Pat and--NO PAT!

"I looked down the hill and there she was, speeding toward the bottom. A wonderful passerby stopped the wheelchair and we immediately ran to get her. We managed to have a good laugh about that potential disaster and went on to have a great day."

Things WILL go wrong on a trip with your care recipient. You'll go in circles looking for the elevator at a shopping mall because no signs are posted...or you'll have to go a block out of your way to find a ramp in a busy tourist destination. And then there's the wonderful trip to the bathroom, whose sign may say "handicapped accessible", but its reality may prove it a lie.

Deb found that to be true in a hotel room touted to be handicapped accessible during a recent trip: "The bathrooms, although large enough, did not have turn-around ability between the door to the bathroom and the actual bedroom. I had to physically move Pat's electric cart on angles each time we went in and out of the bathroom.

"Worst of all, the beds were horrible! They were regular beds and Pat had to lie flat all night. So I put an overnight suitcase with covers and pillows over it to support her in an upright position. It would have been better had they provided a recliner for her to sleep in!"

Deb doesn't want to scare you away from the idea of traveling with your care recipient. Her experience simply points out that it's important for the person taking your reservation to understand your care recipients specific needs. Different impairments require different kinds of equipment. And don't forget that it's not enough for the room to be accessible; the lobby and other public facilities need to be barrier-free too.

Other suggestions when making hotel reservations include taking the lowest floor on which accessible services are offered and to alert hotel staff about the nature and risks of your care recipient's disability in case of emergency.

4. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH.
Jim Foster reminds us that plentiful resources are available to help you plan your trip. Fodor's has an excellent guide called Great American Vacations for Travelers with Disabilities and other books can be found on the shelves of your local library.

National organizations that provide information include:

--Access Foundation for the Disabled (Worldwide Disability Information, Box 356, Malverne, NY 11565, tel. 516-887-5684, fax 516-887-5798). Free travel information and referrals. A monthly newsletter called "Access International" is available for a $45 one-time fee and provides information on accessible tours and cruises.

--Mobility International, USA (Box 10767, Eugene, OR 97440, tel. and TDD 503-343-1284, fax 503-343-6812). Travel information and educational exchanges. $20 a year membership.

--Society for the Advancement of Travel for the Handicapped (347 5th Ave., Suite 610, New York, NY 10016, tel. 212-447-7284, fax 212-725-8523). Travel information and travel agency referrals. $45 a year membership.

State travel offices offer free vacation guides, most of which give general accessibility ratings to local attractions.

5. TRAVEL WITH A SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE
Deb Nyberg has an inspiring philosophy on traveling with her special care recipient. "Pat and I have had wonderful times together. We just have to do a little more work in order to enjoy our times together.

"Pat has had MS for 27 years and is still young in heart and mind. Once I decided it would be fun to take her tubing down the Guadalupe River rapids in Texas. So, we tied a rope from my tube to hers and I kept my feet under her tube and off we both went. She had the time of her life! Now she wants to bungie jump someday!"

Bungie jumping may not be your idea of a good time. But by sitting down with your care recipient, sharing ideas, and making a few trips to the library, you'll be able to design a trip of your own that's sure to leave you both feeling closer than ever before.

Activities Index of Articles

Join Our Support Group

Ask Denise

Ask An Expert

The Caregiving Years:
1. I may help a relative soon.
2. I'm starting to help.
3. I am helping.
4. I am still helping!
5. My role is changing.
6. My caregiving has ended.

Three Issues of Caregiving: Free!

Your Opinion