Why Boats Are More Dangerous For Seniors Than You Think
Blue spaces are important for people's health, and time out on the water is considered sacred to many people. This is true no matter what age a person is, but there are greater obstacles as people age. Whether you enjoy luxury cruises or leisurely boating with family and friends, you want to be safe and proactively address any safety concerns. And if you are injured while on a boat, then there are steps you can take so that your medical bills and other damages are covered.
Susceptibility to Illnesses
In 2020 with the uncertainty that surrounded the novel coronavirus, cruise lines decided to prevent passengers aged 70 and over from booking cruises with their companies. This is because senior citizens are the most vulnerable demographic in luxury cruising and even in the general population. Senior citizens are still far more likely to catch the novel coronavirus and those with serious underlying chronic health conditions were even more susceptible.
Fading Senses Create New Challenges
As people age their senses fade which makes it harder for them to pay attention to details in sensory information that they used to clearly understand. If you have trouble hearing, then that is going to significantly impact your safe operation of a boat if you cannot properly hear a radio. It’s important to also remember that waves or choppy waters can knock glasses off a person's face, or strong winds can blow them away. If you think that you would not be able to continue safely operating a boat if you lost your glasses, then it is a good idea to bring friends and family with you who can.
Slips and Falls
As people age, their balance is impacted and they tend to fall more. If they were less physically active during their younger years, then they might notice even greater difficulty with mobility. Cruise ships are not on solid ground, so they wobble a bit and can be difficult for elderly people to walk on. It is important to ask for any desired or necessary accommodations to help you have the safest cruise possible.
How A Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
When you have been injured on a boat then you need an experienced attorney who specializes in boating accidents, such as Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A. You should also choose an attorney in the state your accident occurred in rather than your home state if your accident occurred while on vacation.
Tips For Staying Safe On Boats
If you or a loved one don’t want to give up your time on the water, whether it’s on a river or a lake or out in the ocean, then there are some ways to reduce the amount of risk that you face.
Be careful when exiting and entering a boat:
- There may be times when you need to let a dock know ahead of time of any issues getting in and out of a boat. There may be alternative boat trailer steps that can make it easier.
- Stay hydrated: The two most likely populations to become dehydrated are young children and seniors. A fun day out on the water can turn into a tragedy if a senior's electrolytes are thrown off from improper fluid balance.
- Wear a life vest
- Bring extra warm clothes: It’s often a lot colder over the water than it is on land, so warm clothes will help you from getting too cold. It’s also good to have backup clothes in case yours gets wet.
- Make sure you’ve packed necessary medications: These include all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications that you rely on.
- If you are planning on taking a cruise and have access to a map of each floor of the ship, then you can use that to plan and book your room closer to elevators or where you plan on spending most of your time, such as the pool deck.
Source: Lipcon, Margulies & Winkleman, P.A.