I have been reading about the nightmares that can happen when very frail seniors travel by air. What would be better alternatives if I were to bring my 87-year-old mother with Stage 1 Parkinson's from California to Arkansas if my stepfather passes before she does? There is a lovely ALF in Hot Springs where I could visit her daily. Mom is of sound mind, walks with a cane and uses Depends.
I read the article on this site about hiring a private ambulance ("ambulette") but the cost would be prohibitive. Car travel would take days with many bathroom and stretching stops and overnight accommodations. Has anyone traveled with a senior on Amtrak? Suggestions are welcome.
On a recent trip cross country to see my daughter, an elderly gent sitting a row in front of me had a 'blowout'. It was BEYOND humiliating for him, his companion, the flight attendants. As we were more than half way to our destination--the didn't opt to return to home base and just worked around it.
The smell was beyond horrible--planes don't smell all that great anyhow--and for those of us sitting near this gent--I have a strong nose and smell everything.
The flight attendants were wonderful--luckily the 'blowout' was contained and they did take him to first class bathroom and eventually he was returned to his seat wearing a pair of huge sweatpants and probably every single depends, pad and absorbent item they could find.
His companion (probably his son) was beyond--beyond mortified--but honestly, it was better he had the accident in his pants than in that teensy bathroom---THAT would have required and emergency stop for sure.
No amount of "free snacks' will make up for that redolent flight.
The RV would take longer, but discomfit fewer people.
At some point, flying although faster--you gotta weigh your options---300 people were pretty ticked off--not our faults, of course, but more than an hour of that flight was just HORRIBLE. And now I find out the captain could have dropped the 'oxygen bags for us' but felt it would upset the passengers.
Please do not even ATTEMPT a flight. When I have dropped $1000 to fly in (relative) comfort, I do NOT need a fecal blowout and no other place in the plane to sit....think of others....please.
Considering that no method of transport is going to be comfortable for Mom, I now see that the relative quickness of travel is probably worth whatever effort it takes at the airports to get Mom from California to Arkansas. At least it will all be over in one day as opposed to multiple days of road travel. And if there were a medical emergency, I'd rather be with her on a plane flying into a city instead of driving down a desert road in the middle of nowhere.
I was just online and can't find any direct flights from Los Angeles to Little Rock but did find one plane change and first-class seats. OK. I've convinced myself to fly.
Of course, all this could be for naught if Mom is incapacitated by the time her husband passes away. Too sad to think about until, and if, that time comes.
Thanks for all for your input.
With amtrak, you would be changing trains multiple times and having long (12 hour) “layovers” at the train station while waiting for the next train. California to Arkansas by train is not going to be easy. Have you looked at the times the train leaves CA? 12:45am out of it city.....with a 12 hour stop in Los Angeles.