Technology can put travel at your fingertips
Whether you’re itching to escape the cold and snowy winter or longing to relive the summer nostalgia of family road trips of years past, travel is often on our minds.
And who can blame us? Travel not only offers us the opportunity to experience new places, new cultures and new adventures, but it’s also a way for us to connect with loved ones, explore our past and create new memories.
For many seniors, particularly those who are enjoying an active retirement, travel is an enjoyable pastime and a priority.
For others, limited mobility and reliance on caregivers’ schedules have made travel in the traditional sense more difficult.
Fortunately, in an age where technology and digital connection have become increasingly commonplace as a result of a global pandemic, there are a multitude of ways for seniors — or anyone, for that matter — to visit faraway places, participate in meaningful face-to-face conversations with loved ones and essentially take a virtual trip from the comfort of their favorite chair.
Interested in touring a museum exhibit but lack the ability (or the desire) to travel to one in person? Or perhaps a visit to a renowned zoo across the country has been on your bucket list, but getting there now seems all but impossible.
By traveling to a website such as trip.com, a variety of cultural excursions are literally at your fingertips. Be it the San Diego Zoo Koala Cam or a 3-dimensional tour of the tomb of Pharoah Ramses VI in Egypt, traveling across the country and the world remains accessible to young and old alike when the physical means of getting there in person are lacking.
Perhaps one of your most cherished memories is an annual trip to visit faraway family and friends. While on the one hand Zoom has become a buzzword associated with lockdowns and isolation from loved ones, it remains a reliable and quite effective means of connecting with others in a way that a letter or a phone call simply cannot accomplish.
One can see the smile of a friend while hearing their laughter, read a bedtime story face-to-face with grandchildren across time zones, even participate in a class at a museum miles away from your living room.
Traveling is often an essential part of who we are as social beings. We long to see what else is out there in the world, escape our day-to-day routine and remain connected to those most important to us.
Many of us can hop in a car or book a flight to anywhere in the world with relative ease, but the option to jet-set without even packing a suitcase brings that world to us instead — and most importantly, keeps a passion for travel accessible to seniors who long for it.
Here at The Hickman, we recognize the role that travel plays in emotional well-being, especially among those facing physical or cognitive limitations. We proudly support our residents with remotely plugging into worship services online, connecting with loved ones by way of Zoom, offering local scenic bus excursions, journeying to distant locations with our virtual reality program, and more.
If you think The Hickman might be a good fit for you or a family member, call 484- 7606300. We look forward to hearing from you!