Travel is a significant part of our lives and retirement means the opportunity to go on more adventures is inevitable.

Travel is a significant part of our lives and retirement means the opportunity to go on more adventures is inevitable. Senior travel can be stressful, and with more than 20 million people in the U.S. making these trips with hearing loss, travel can be especially challenging. Vacation should feel like a vacation, which is why we have put together this helpful list of senior travel tips for traveling with hearing aids.

Some common problems include: difficulty making reservations, failure to hear or understand scheduled events like tours, live performances, planned activities, and difficulties hearing or understanding airline boarding and in-flight announcements. What can you do?

1. Whether you are traveling by train, airplane, cruise ship, or bus, it is key to make all travel arrangements in advance. Most means of transportation allow you to sign up for text and email alerts so if you miss an announcement there is a back-up way to alert you. Bonus to signing up for mobile phone alerts is that you won’t need to get up to check the display board for updates.

2. For safety when traveling alone, it is important to inform an attendant that you are hearing impaired. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from fellow vacationers, most are more than happy to offer assistance.

3. Will I need to take my hearing aids out for a security screening? Most importantly, keeping hearing aids on will allow you to communicate with security officers during screening, when necessary. In most cases, hearing aids worn on the ears won’t set off the alarms. If you are concerned, the security scanner will not harm your hearing aids or other related devices.

4. Be prepared with printed copies of travel, lodging, and activity reservations that include dates, pricing, and your confirmation number.

5. Many venues have the necessary devices to assist with hearing. Check whether the attraction you are visiting has accommodations. Some places are even tele-enabled and can transmit sound straight to your hearing aids. This can be extremely helpful on a noisy tour or music event.

Planning and informing your transportation hosts and letting clerks know that you are hearing impaired can help keep you stress free and keep your trip running smoothly. Lastly, don’t get discouraged, there are many things that hearing-impaired travelers can do to travel with ease, and vacation in peace.

Article Provided by:
The Grove and Gardens
503-433-8403
www.TheGroveandGardens.com