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Safety Committee SAFETY 4 "ALL" SEASONS As we all know, today's seniors are healthier, more active, and more adventurous than ever before. Better health provides seniors with more opportunities for travel within our beautiful country as well as abroad. e Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) has provided the following safety tips to help make your travel easier, more fun, and safer. TRAVEL TIPS FOR FOLKS OVER 50 1. DON'T TRUST OVER-THE-COUNTER DRUGS OVERSEAS. ey are like a box of chocolates: You never know what you are going to get. So always carry these basic over-the- counter (OTC) drugs when you travel. • Antacids • Anti-diarrheal • Sunscreen • Cough and cold medicine • Hydrocortisone cream • Motion sickness medicine • Antihistamines • Insect repellent 2. IF YOU ARE GOING TO A SUNNY LOCALE be sure to ask your doctor if any of your prescription medicines cause increased sensitivity to the sun, since many do. 3. CREATE A SIMPLE "MEDICAL INFORMATION FORM" TO CARRY IN YOUR WALLET OR WITH YOUR PASSPORT. Your form should include: • Your name, address, and phone number • Friends and relatives who should be contacted in an emergency • Personal physician contact • Current medications (both prescription and OTC) • Known drug and food allergies • Name and number of medical insurance company 4. TIP: ASK FRIENDS WHO RECENTLY VISITED YOUR DESTINATION what they wished they had taken with them! 5. DON'T FORGET! Even in the United States, Medicare (and most insurance plans) only pay to get you to the nearest hospital – no matter how inadequate that hospital might be. If you need to be evacuated to a more appropriate facility, it's at your expense. at is why it is recommended that travelers carry an Emergency Assistance Plus (EA+) card. 6. PACK MORE PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE THAN YOU THINK YOU WILL NEED. An extra week's worth of medicine is a good rule of thumb to follow. • IF YOU TAKE NITRO FOR YOUR HEART, make sure the pills or patches are fresh, as they lose their potency over time. • IF YOU TAKE INSULIN, carry a prescription for your syringes. Many states and countries will not sell them to you over the counter. 7. PUT YOUR PILLS IN YOUR CARRY-ON, not your checked luggage. You are much less likely to lose them that way. 8. ADJUST YOUR SCHEDULE OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE TO ACCOUNT FOR TIME ZONES. An easy way to do this is to carry an extra watch and keep it set to "home time". Reference: A Seniors Guide to Healthy Travel by Donald L. Sullivan, Career Press. Driving and Pedestrian Safety Driving and pedestrian safety remains one of our major areas of concern. Remember while driving in our neighborhood, the speed limit on Four Seasons Circle is 30 mph, while the speed limit on our residential side streets is 25 mph and 15 mph in our alleys and parking lots. Regarding roundabout safety, always yield to vehicles already in the roundabout and ONLY TRAVEL IN A COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION (i.e., keeping to the right as you enter the roundabout). … and stop at all STOP signs. While walking, be mindful of vehicle traffic on the streets and stay on the sidewalks whenever possible. If you need to walk in the street, always walk facing the opposing traffic, and if in a group, walk single file. CPR SUNDAY: Monthly CPR Sunday classes are not currently being scheduled. You may arrange to schedule a CPR class for your club or committee by calling, texting, or emailing A J Reilly: (951) 522- 9975 or reilly58@me.com As a reminder, the Safety Committee meets on the first Tuesday of the month at 10 am in RCN Conference Room. We encourage you to attend the meeting if you have any concerns or if you would simply like an update on our ongoing safety projects. All the best. ~ Frank Hilberg, hilberg frank@gmail.com 30 FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | MAY 2024

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