Health While on your trip – or at your destination – be cautious of your new environment. Accidental falls are particularly common. Be sure that you have good light at night, remove risky obstacles such as suitcases, loose mats and other hazards. Do a safety check of your surroundings and be sure that there are working smoke detectors in your winter abode. Toomany snowbirds are flown home, not only because of illness, but also because of injuries, especially falls. The majority of snowbirds are managing some chronic condition for which they are taking medication and following regular checks on their condition. While at home, this action becomes routine, such as doctor’s visits, blood pressure recordings, diabetes tests and INR tests for those on Coumadin. When away, many are not following these protocols. Be sure and take medications as prescribed and monitor your results as you would at home. For those with hypertension, use a wrist blood pressure cuff (which you can purchase in any drug store) or visit a pharmacy machine, take your pressure regularly and write down the results to assist your doctor when home. Diabetics can do their own monitoring…keeping a record of their results. Patients on Coumadin will have to make arrangements with a local lab for their INR tests. If your condition is becoming worse, contact your travel insurance hotline for advice or phone your home physician. All insurance policies require that your health be stable prior to travel. Most policies require that there be a certain period before travelling during which there has been no new diagnosis or treatment, no change inmedication and no investigation for a new medical complaint. Read your policy to determine this stability period. Some periods are up to a year; withMedipac, it’s 90 days. Aside from the insurance requirement, the stability period is for your own well-being. If something has changed, it’s far better to have it thoroughly evaluated and managed with your own doctors rather than getting into trouble while away. Plan your annual health assessment for the spring, allowing plenty of time before your next season’s trip in case there is any new investigation, diagnosis or treatment in order to avoid changes during that stability period. Always choose a destination where you know that there is quality medical care nearby. Those who travel to remote regions or even to far-off countries should be in good and stable health, as there may not be ready access to good health facilities. Choosing the right time to leave and return when driving is important. Every year, there are injuries reported to us from accidents during inclement weather. Look for the weather forecasts when choosing your dates and remember that it’s easy to notify your insurer if the dates should be changed. Take your time driving and avoid night driving or being at the wheel too long. Be sure and take a break at least every 2-3 hours and get a little exercise. Be sure that you are stable before travelling Drive safely Be safety conscious Monitor your conditions properly CSANews | SUMMER 2016 | 33
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