16 July 2020
Staying away from home can bring with it its own joys and issues, whether you're visiting friends or family who live further away or going on a mini-break in the UK. It can be a little daunting if you have a health condition that causes issues with your mobility or personal hygiene. Fortunately, there are a whole host of travel and home products to help support you, so you can remain comfortable, fresh, and happy when staying away from home.
As well as your pants, socks, and toiletries bag, your medication is an important essential that you’ll need to pack on overnight trips. If you take daily medication, it may be easier to take a pill organiser rather than a complete pack of tablets, which will lets you add pills to different boxes for the day of the week or time of day, so you're only taking what you will need. Staying organised beforehand will also allow you to spend more time with your loved ones and reduce any worry about forgetting medication.
Wherever you’re travelling to, having a first aid kit in your car is a great way to stay prepared when you’re on the road and invaluable if an emergency does occur. Having equipment such as a first aid leaflet, bandages, and sterile dressings on hand can help to treat injuries and wounds on yourself or another person while you’re away from home.
If you’re staying away from home for a few days or more, you'll need to consider the best way to maintain your personal care and hygiene routines. You may need to check what bathing and showering facilities are available to make sure you can stay safe in the bathroom and bring alternative hygiene aids if necessary, such as the Conti SoSoft Large Patient Wipes.
If you need some additional support in the bathroom, you may ask the family member or friend you’re staying with if they have a non-slip mat that you can use. Suction grab bars are ideal travel companions that you can attach to walls in the shower or bathroom if you need some temporary handheld support.
If you're staying in a hotel, it's always worth checking with them as to what facilities they provide, as they may have shower chairs available for use.
It’s important to stay comfortable when you’re away from home so you can relax and enjoy yourself. If you use a seating aid or cushion at home why not consider taking them with you on your trip, especially if you’re staying overnight at a loved one’s home.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for support getting into and out of the car you may consider the benefits of a transfer aid. The revolving car seat helps you to rotate into or out of your car seat and avoid uncomfortable twisting. However, it’s important to remember not to use it when your car is on the move.
If you need to regularly monitor your health at home, you may need to take your devices with you when visiting friends or family and staying overnight at another home. An oximeter is a handy monitor that fits on the end of your finger to read your blood oxygen levels and pulse rate. It can be an invaluable piece of equipment to indicate whether your levels have dropped and if you need to seek medical advice.
If you need to take regular blood pressure readings you may find it useful to get an Automatic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor. This compact device gives clear blood pressure readings with the capacity to record 30 readings and can easily fit in a bag or suitcase so you can take it with you wherever you go.
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