The holiday season is in full-swing, and that means that many people are preparing their travel plans to go visit their loved ones. With all the excitement on the forefront of our minds at this time, it is easy to overlook things that could potentially be a detriment to our personal safety during this busy time. We asked a Family Nurse Practitioner, and a friend of the Smart Rehab team, what she thought were the most important tips for staying safe during the holiday season and this is what she had to say:
“When I speak with patients and their families about how they can go the extra mile to ensure personal safety during the holiday season, I often recommend that they focus on three areas: transportation, medications and prescriptions, as well as communication with family and friends.
It is important to outline your travel plan early, and make sure you are comfortable with your mode of transportation to and from your holiday plans. More specifically, I suggest that my patients take an extra couple of minutes to make sure that their cars are up to speed (no pun intended) with regular maintenance and are inclement weather ready. I also like to ask those that rely on public transportation to outline their routes early and travel with a buddy if at all possible. Additionally, I often suggest during these conversations that patients be aware of how much they are packing and talk through how they will be getting their items to and from their locations. Over- packed bags, or luggage that may be a little too worn down, can cause a potential safety risk…so pack light if possible and always check bags for safety before leaving the house.
My next tip is to be cognizant of properly packing medicines and making sure prescriptions are filled ahead of the trip. Traveling can make it hard to get prescriptions filled in a pinch with office closings and odd holiday hours. This is one of the most emphasized points I like to make during these conversations, as I feel it is the most important in maintaining a patient’s good health.
Finally, I feel that good communication is the cornerstone of staying safe and connected while traveling during all times of the year. With the travel to and from events, I think it is very important to give those that are expecting you a call when you leave to visit and also after you return from their homes or event spaces. Communicating these plans (and subsequent check-ins) is a great way to give everyone peace of mind regarding the safety of their loved ones during the holidays”.
Smart Rehab encourages all of our patients, friends and family to follow these tips to ensure that this holiday season is enjoyed to the utmost degree! For more information on Smart Rehab andhome-based physical therapy, please visit our website at thesmartrehab.com. Or give our experts a call at 314-403-0492 to learn more!