Planes, Canes, and Automobiles
Connecting with your Aging Parents through Travel
By Valerie M. Grubb
Greenleaf Book Group Press
Soft Cover, 233 pages
www.gbgpress.ca
This book resulted from the feelings of unfinished business after the unexpected death of the author’s father, a commercial pilot who travelled extensively with his young family.
Life got busy for author Valerie Grubb as she entered adulthood and the many requests to continue to travel with her parents went unmet because of a demanding schedule of her own. Facing regret, she decided she would take up travelling with her mother to avoid the same situation.
The result is this book, which identifies the challenges of travelling with elderly people and tackles all kinds of topics, ranging from money to health issues to emotional baggage. Grubb delves into medications, travelling with wheelchairs, getting around, the cancellation of trips, and so much more.
Having travelled with her mother, Grubb offers insight into relationship building and how to make travel plans run smoothly to optimize the enjoyment of the vacation.
She advises against planning non-stop activities, as this can be grueling for the heartiest of travellers. She even provides a pre-trip schedule to guide you through critical processes such as immunizations if you are travelling afar.
This is worth the read for the novice traveller and a good refresher for more seasoned explorers. Either way, it can guide you to develop a travel relationship with the folks, which is always good.
