In Reply to: Advice for elderly traveller posted by hopetounpark on Thursday, 17. May 2012 at 06:29 Bali Time:
I took my elderly mother to Bali. I found that she tired easily, and we had to alternate 'quiet' days with the busier ones. I also had her take my arm any time we walked on the streets as the uneven concrete slabs and tiles were dangerous. She managed to trip once.
My daughter came too and we 'tag-teamed' looking after Mum because she was a light sleeper, tripped easily, and has dementia. I made a point of slathering her with sunscreen and also put Autan on her morning and night. Elderly skin is more fragile and I did not want her scratching bites.
On outings I took water, toilet wipes and an umbrella, and wet cloths she could wipe herself with to cool down or remove perspiration. I gave her a purse with a small amount of rupiah in it so she could make small purchases herself independently of me, and it would not matter if she misplaced it. I found she preferred to eat european food but that was okay, and she liked the fruit platters.
Her rest home gave me prepared blister packs with all her medication in, with a few extra days worth in case we were delayed coming home. They also put her on antibiotics for the time we were away to protect her from unfamiliar infection (which was good because she managed to graze a bit off her shin). I took a comprehensive first aid kit, and bought more over there as needed.
I took lots of photos of her having fun (swimming in the pool, eating at restaurants and patting a tiger at the Safari Park). She took some photos too of the things that interested her. The day we came back I got all the pix printed off in Bali, which was cheaper than home, then put them all into an album when we got back so she would have it to flip through. I also put her boarding passes, restaurant dockets, the safari park brochure etc in it. She really likes showing her visitors her pictures.